good morning. gridlock. three days after sandy getting in and out of new york city a nightmare. long lines at gas stations across the region as the death toll from the storm rises to at least 74 people. and new images show its fury in connecticut and new jersey today, thursday, november 1st, 2012.

and good morning. welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm savannah gurthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. the storm recovery is already beginning, but already mounting frustration among people over how long it's going to take. and i guess that's understandable. >> yeah, and it's going to take a while. that much is clear. not just here in the city, but across the northeast region. as we mentioned, gas has become a hot commodity, especially in storm-damaged parts of new jersey and long island. the traffic problems around new york city are so bad now, governor andrew cuomo has declared a transportation emergency. couple of new regulations in place, for example, a minimum passenger mandate is in effect for cars that try to get on the island of manhattan. you have to have three people in your vehicle to be allowed on the island. officials hope that and the limited subway and mass transit service that resumes this morning, that's good news will help with the situation. taking all that into consideration, organizers have decided to go ahead with sunday's new york city marathon. a lot of people shaking their

heads over this decision. is it the right call? we'll ask the head of the group that organizes that event. let's start with natalie morales, just across the hudson river in hoboken, new jersey. officials there say it's going to take several days to pump flood waters out. natalie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, matt. well, actually just as the flood waters have been starting to recede here, matt. you see right here behind me, we have a new concern there's now a water main break here in the southwest part of town. there's still about a foot of water in some areas. i'm not going to walk out as far as i can because the police are not encouraging us to do so. in fact, keeping a close watch. as i mentioned, this town already so deeply ravaged by this storm. more than 500 million gallons of water flooded these streets, about 20,000 residents were cut off, completely stranded in their homes. the national guard had to come in and evacuate them and take them to shelters. half of those residents as i understand, still in their

homes, still stranded, the mayor is still calling for help. this is one of many communities torn apart by sandy's cruel path. >> a grim new reality as the power of sandy's catastrophic punch continues to swell. >> it's beyond belief. it's really catastrophic. from as far north and south as you can go, there's houses ripped off their foundations, torn apart. >> reporter: new chilling images of neighborhoods utterly decimated, resembling war zones with homes crushed like crumbling match sticks. >> i got nothing left. memories and everything else, everything's ruined. ruined. >> reporter: the winds may be long gone, but the flooding isn't. here in hoboken, some 20,000 people trapped, many cold and hungry as the national guard arrived to rescue and replenish. >> one thing we truly need, we need more fuel. >> reporter: precious belongings have been washed away like memories. at the flood-ravaged jersey shore, president obama came to meet with new jersey's governor

wednesday and personally assessed the damage. >> we are here for you. and we will not forget, we will follow up to make sure that you get all the help that you need until you've rebuilt. >> reporter: at shore communities, the beach now buries homes and businesses. sand plowed from the strts like snow in a blizzard. >> you couldn't see anything. because the sand was so intense. >> in new york city, a dramatic division. >> there'so light, no power, no nothing. >> reporter: a huge chunk of downtown manhattan struggling without power. >> it's sort of like the city has been in some ways cut in half around 40th or 42nd street. >> reporter: schools remain shut, but much of the city is finally coming to life. mayor bloomberg helped reopen the stock exchange thanks to generator power. limited subway service resumes today, but mass transit is a disaster. many have to get around either on foot or on wheels. the gridlock is now extreme and car pooling is a must.

>> from 6:00 a.m. till midnight, if you're coming into manhattan on one of those bridges, you have to have three people in the car. >> reporter: fresh images from above breezy point, new york, show the fire destroyed more than 100 homes. and for monday, the roaring inferno that ripped through several shore front mansions in greenwich, connecticut. a stark reminder of sandy's vast reach. across the northeast, millions are still without power. in suburban neighborhoods, many enduring long lines for gas to power their generators. at gas stations that are open, it's sometimes taking hours just to fill up. there are looting concerns too, like in staten island. >> they say what are you doing in that house? get out. you don't belong in here. >> reporter: families up and down the coast are still reeling from sandy's strike. while coming to terms with a tough new reality and a very long road back. >> everything is gone. but we've still got each other.

>> and savannah, back here in hoboken, as you can see, we're dealing with a little bit of water. but this is good news considering what this area looked like even just yesterday as the national guard trucks were rescuing people from their homes. the mayor, again, is calling people to help with donations. they need food, supply, resources here, blankets, things to keep people warm. a lot of people, still, are stranded in their homes and this is going to be a community that is going to remain probably in the dark for many days to come. and we are actually -- i have friends and neighbors who do have power, the lucky few, and i know here the new normal seems to be as in many communities about neighbors helping neighbors. those who have seem to be willing to share and are opening up their doors and welcoming people in. savannah? >> natalie, thank you. you mentioned, natalie, some of the destruction along new jersey's coastline. nbc's michelle franzen in seaside heights, one of the

cities most harshly affected by sandy's wrath. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. the recovery for the beach side communities is a tough one. just getting started and it's going to be a long haul for these heartbroken residents who have watched generations of memories wash away. >> reporter: finally rescued from her seaside heights home after riding out hurricane sandy, bobbi got her three dogs, stepped off a national guard truck wednesday happy to be on the mainland and toms river. >> all of a sudden it was up to here. it was a very sudden thing. i don't think anybody over there was prepared for it. >> reporter: and no one was prepared to see the aftermath. streets and homes once flooded now covered in debris or destroyed. >> it's still hard to believe. you feel you're going to wake up any minute. it's sickening, saddening. >> reporter: the beach community most recently put on the map by

mtv's "jersey shore" was virtually wiped out by hurricane sandy. the town's biggest attraction, the boardwalk and amusement rides including the iconic roller coaster now propped in the atlantic ocean after sandy ripped away the boardwalk underneath it. >> you look out here now and you see all this devastation in an area where you guys have lived. >> it is. that's all it is is devastation. there's no other word for it. >> reporter: captain joseph mitchell and rescue crews have spent these past few days going door-to-door and helping stranded residents like c.j. and his friend's dog willie get out. just north along the jersey shore, dozens of homes and the entire landscape has been violently altered by the force of mother nature. for residents like melissa griffith who witnessed sandy's

wrath, it was a life-altering experience. >> i was born and raised on the beach. this is all i know. and i survived this one. and everyone says it's worse than '62, i survived. >> reporter: and even with all this destruction and for as many people tha stayed behind, officials tell us along this stretch of jersey shore, amazingly, not any major injuries or fatalities. matt? >> michelle, thank you very much. president obama is set to t following his tour of the destruction in new jersey. and with the election just five days away, new polls show the president and governor romney are locked in tight races in several battleground states. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning. >> good morning, matt. well, look, the president has set his final schedule for the next five days. and in four of the next five days, he will stop off in the state of ohio. his final rally will be in des moines, iowa, where he'll be joined by the first lady.

>> reporter: fresh off his visit to the storm-ravaged new jersey shore, president obama returns to the campaign trail today. on wednesday, the president's focus, though, was all sandy. spending four hours surveying hurricane damage with new jersey's republican governor chris christie. with less than a week to go until the election, the two leaders were an unlikely combination. practically inseparable, comforting victims in shelters and on the storm-ravaged streets. later at a press conference, the president and governor, the gop's convention keynote speaker earlier this year went out of their way to praise each other's leadership. >> i cannot thank the president enough for his personal concern and compassion for our state and for the people of our state. >> i just want to thank him for his extraordinary leadership and partnership. >> reporter: for the president, the new jersey trip was also a chance to show his empathetic side as he comforted the owner of a marina destroyed by the storm. >> how long have you had the marina? >> since '96. >> nothing like this never happened?

>> never. >> reporter: mitt romney spent his wednesday full-time on the trail in florida trying to balance campaigning and showing sensitivity for the storm victims. >> keep folks in your thoughts and prayers. it's a big part of what america is. when there are challenges, we come together and help one another and that help is needed now. >> reporter: and while romney didn't shy away from criticizing the president's record, he did not mention mr. obama by name. >> we should not continue on the same path, but it's time to take a new path, bold aggressive change. >> reporter: meanwhile, paul ryan and his wife jana spent halloween in their hometown in wisconsin taking their kids trick-or-treating. a maris poll shows a tightening in key states, the president still holds leads in three of them. in iowa, president obama maintains a six-point lead over mitt romney, down from eight two weeks ago. in wisconsin, romney has cut the president's lead in half, he now trails by three points. and in new hampshire, it's basically a dead heat.

the president at 49%, romney with 47%. the granite state will be mitt romney's final stop before election day. >> reporter: the schedule tells you everything, the president four times in ohio. he'll be multiple times in wisconsin and iowa these last four days. only one stop each in florida and new hampshire and nevada, matt. >> chuck todd at the white house, let me remind our viewers, election night coverage will come to you from democracy plaza here at rockefeller center. it will be open to the public starting tomorrow. >> we want to return to the gridlock that's being caused by the storm. nbc's kerry sanders is above yonkers right now. >> it is truly a test of patience as we take you down over yonkers here. you can see the line backed up. what you're looking at here are check points to make sure that those driving into the city -- that's the henry hudson parkway, are actually following the rules. those rules are, three people per car.

well, as you know, there are some people who think they can skirt by. so they're doing the check points and they're exiting some of those cars off the road. you can see how it's backed up. add to this the cascading effect that people are low on fuel because the gas stations are not all operational. gas stations this morning have more than a mile long wait to get up to get fuel. so folks who are trying to get in are sitting here burning fuel wondering if i'm going to have to go to a gas station, am i going to have to then wait to get fuel when, unfortunately, we've already seen one gas station today run out of gasoline as people are in line. when you add this all up, you can see the huge frustration just to commute. there's cars being turned away. likely that person did not have three people in the car as required, savannah. >> all right, kerry, never an easy commute into manhattan, slower today and i'm sure the

check point doesn't make things move any quicker either. tamron hall is over at the news desk while natalie's over in hoboken. good morning to you. good morning, everyone. new criminal charges today in the fallout from the child sex abuse scandal at penn state university. nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff has more for us. >> reporter: one year after jerry sandusky was arrested and charged with sexually molesting young boys, pennsylvania attorney general linda kelly is today set to announce what is being described as a major new development in the case. sources tell nbc news that prosecutors are preparing to charge graham spanier with perjury and obstruction to cover up the allegations against sandusky. in addition, they have prepared new charges against two other former school officials who have already been indicted, athletic director tim curley and gary schultz. these charges are based in part

on e-mails uncovered in a report last summer by former fbi director. prosecutors will contend that the e-mails show that they agreed not to report a 2001 allegation that sandusky sexually abused a young boy in the penn state shower room. the ex-officials have all vehemently denied the charges and he said he was only told sandusky was quote, horsing around with the boy. one of his lawyers said last night they are preparing to make their own statement later today. >> thank you very much. more than 1,000 residents near louisville, kentucky, are waiting to return to their homes after authorities say workers accidentally sparked a chemical fire at the site of a train derailment. at least three workers suffered serious burns. residents outside the evacuation zone have been warned to stay indoors. a pair of suspected smugglers along our border with mexico might get an "a" for creativity. look at this, suv got stuck on

atop a 14-foot fence. they apparently tried to use homemade ramps to get their vehicle over the border when they were spotted on the mexican side trying to free their vehicle, they left the vehicle and they escaped on foot. you do not see that every day for a reason. it is now 7:16, back to matt, savannah, and al. >> i hate to see when wylie coyote goes bad. >> back from your travels, al roker -- >> must have felt good to put a suit on. >> it did. and our crews and producers did unbelievable work. shawn reese drove 2,200 miles over the last few days. we have had quite the adventure, and unfortunately, our friends who we left behind there along the jersey shore, our thoughts and prayers with them. there's the remnants of sandy spinning around and it's lake enhanced ain, so we're seeing rain. we are seeing heavier showers through western new york.

winds still gusting. look at them. anywhere from 20 to 27-mile-per-hour winds back to grand rapids. pittsburgh to atlantic city and syracuse stays gusty. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. closer up view of storm team 4 radar showing sprinkles to the north. these are traveling to the east. a lot of cloudiness to the east. temperatures in the low to mid-40s now. the winds are gentle now, but will be picking up gusting 20 to 25 miles per hour. storm team 4, the four day forecast, we'll have the breeze with that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. even as new york city struggles to recover from sandy, it's going ahead with one of the biggest events every year. mayor michael bloomberg says the new york city marathon will take

place this sunday as scheduled. but not everyone is onboard with that decision. mary wittenberg is the ceo and president of the group that organizes the marathon. good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> were you in agreement with this decision? >> once the mayor said let's go forward. we're here to support the city, ready to do whatever we can. >> if he said to you, mary, do you think it's a good idea? would you have had said yes or no? >> i would say, what come sunday would be the best for new yorkers. and when he said the best thing is to go, the answer is to do everything we can to support the city and help it get back on its feet. and we're going to take advantage of the opportunity to really help elevate the relief efforts and help people come together in the city. >> he's the one that made the call. and i don't mean to put you on the hot seat. i'm a fan of the marathon. i like it. but i have not seen one person here in our informal survey that thinks this is the right idea. you have 600,000 people without power in the city. the subways are only operating

on a limited basis, there are streets that are closed, no power downtown, there's gridlock. the governor declared a transportation emergency, and we saw that picture a second ago of the traffic, people waiting to get into new york city. add to that 47,000 runners, 8,000 volunteers, some 2 million spectators, why is it a good idea? >> well, i think first, matt, our hearts go out to everybody impacted by the storm. it's been really tough here. and the marathon is a day that's all about the triumph of the human spirit and the idea is that come sunday to really help bring new yorkers back together. >> could we have delayed it, though? until the city's a little bit more on its feet after struggling through this week? >> we'd be prepared to go forward however the city thinks best or not go forward. but we respond and get prepared for what we're asked to do. and, again, the idea is come sunday to bring the city together and help the world unite to really support this relief effort.

>> we've got airports running at far less than capacity. can you get the runners in? do you think the runners coming from across the country and by the way, around the world, i think some 20,000 of them come from other countries, can they get here? can they get around the city once they get here? will they have places to stay? >> and what we're hearing is that the flights have been rebooked, people are coming, people want to be here and support. we hear a lot of support of people saying, i want to help new york, i want to help get back on its feet. i want to be there, i want to support local businesses that have been out of business for a while. so far we're hearing people are coming and, you know, on sunday, i think what's really important too, is we have modified all plans. first of all, we canceled most every event except for sunday morning, opening ceremonies friday night canceled, a saturday morning race for 8,000 to 10,000 canceled. so the focus of sunday morning also in terms of transportation, we've gone entirely to a transportation system. all buses, no public transportation.

and so that's the idea is to be here. our job is to respond to what the city needs and asked us to do. and to do so without draining any of the resources that are really rightly focused on the recovery. >> do you expect some of the money raised for charity to go to the relief efforts? >> yes, we're going to use this platform to say here's how you can help. donate to red cross, help americans get back on their feet. and we're on national television and global television, that'll be the chance to help new york and the entire area move forward and rebound. >> hopefully monday morning people will have a different opinion of this decision, at least some of them. good luck with the race on sunday. >> thanks so much. it's 21 after the hour. still ahead, savannah meets up with the team faced with the daunting task of draining new york's flooded tunnels. and our widespread power outages like we've seen with sandy now the new normal in big storms.

but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ minto ] you know, those ads saying mitt romney would ban all abortions and contraception seemed a bit extreme. so i looked into it. turns out, romney doesn't oppose contraception at all. in fact, he thinks abortion should be an option in cases of rape, incest, or to save a mother's life. this issue's important to me, but i'm more concerned about the debt our children will be left with. i voted for president obama last time, but we just can't afford four more years. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

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before you try anything... too crazy. now walgreens pharmacists welcome express scripts members. you may stop by today for the service you trust. at the corner of happy and healthy. sxz 7:26 on this thursday morning. i'm aaron gilchrist. firefighters monitoring hot spots in northeast washington more than ten hours after a fire there. crews don't know what sparked the fire at the market building. at one point, firefighters had to evacuate the structure, fearing it would collapse. let's go to danella sealock with the traffic. >> gridlock traveling 29 southbound. very slow in this area. delays start about cherry hill road and steady to the beltway. 395 northbound, the accident is in the right shoulder lane. back to you. >> thank you. tom has the forecast, next.

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boosting american-made energy; reducing the deficits responsibly by cutting where... we can, and asking the wealthy to pay a little more. and ending the war in afghanistan, so we can... do some nation-building here at home. that's the right path. so read my plan, compare it to governor romney's... and decide which is better for you. it's an honor to be your president... and i'm asking for your vote... so together, we can keep moving america forward. i'm barack obama and i approve this message. good morning. dress for breezy, chilly weather. sprinkles showing up in the areas in green, north-northeast

and north-northwest. they will continue to move to the east. highs mid-50s. tomorrow, we'll have still a bit of a blustery wind. chilly into the weekend.

7:30 now on a thursday morning. november 1st, 2012. we're looking at some of the scenes of people trying to commute into new york city. doesn't look too bad right there. but there have been major traffic backups. new system in effect. you've got to have three people in your car to even be allowed on manhattan island. we're going to have more on that and struggles of this area just ahead. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah gurthrie in studio 1-a. one of the crippling effects of the storm, the flooding of new york city's underground tunnels. well, coming up, we'll introduce you to the unwatering crews. yes, that's what they are called. and they are hard at work now to

pump out hundreds of thousands maybe even millions of gallons of water. we have an announcement to make. tomorrow night on the networks of nbc universal, we'll be broadcasting a special concert to benefit victims of the storm. it's called hurricane sandy coming together. we have some great performers lined up including bruce springsteen and the e street band, billy joel, jon bon jovi and more. >> all hosted by matt, 8:00 tomorrow night on the networks of nbc universal, all commercial-free and benefits the red cross. and now we want to talk about more what we were discussing, the unwatering teams, of course. most of sandy's flood waters have flooded the streets, but it's the water beneath that's presented the biggest challenge. on wednesday, i met the team leader of the engineers tasked with getting all that water out.

sandy's winds and rains may be long gone, but one thing is here to stay. all that water. >> the army corps of engineers is sending us their best national team. they call it the national unwatering team. i didn't know there was such a name for a team. >> neither did we, but i got the chance to meet the head of the so-called unwatering team of the army corps of engineers. >> well, first of all, some people can't believe that you are known as the unwatering team. is that the term you would use? >> it was a term handed to us, savannah, in 2005 the district i worked for was asked to go into new orleans and unwater the city of new orleans after hurricane katrina. >> many others have been dispatched from illinois to share what they learned from katrina several years ago. >> reporter: how much water do we need to pump out? >> our estimates at this point in time are 300 to 400 million

gallons of water. and it's growing. >> reporter: and even though there's not as much overall as there was in new orleans, he says the job in new york is much more difficult. >> it's not the amount of water that's the problem, it's where it is. >> it's where it is, yeah. >> and where it is is underground in miles and miles of subway and road tunnels. >> some of those tunnels are up to 2 miles long. and the only points into them is at each end. and that requires us to have some pumping capabilities that perhaps reach 1/2 mile to a mile long. >> another problem, the age of the tunnels. new york's subway system is over 100 years old. >> some places we could probably pump out quicker, but we don't want to collapse the tunnel. >> the next challenge, where to pump all that water. >> largely mostly sea water. right now we're working on, it'll get pumped right back out to where it came from. it'll go back to the rivers and harbors. if we run into any bad contamination as a part of that, we'll deal with it as it comes

up. >> and one other project particularly meaningful to new yorkers, they are working to unwater the world trade center site. >> it must make you feel good to know that you can do something to help. >> it doesn't make us feel good to come to these, savannah, because we don't look forward to disasters, we don't want them to happen, but if they do happen, we want to be here to help. >> once up and running, it'll be a 24-hour a day project and he estimates they'll be able to pump out all that water in a matter of days. >> hopefully that comes true. >> we hope. thank you very much. this is the third straight day for no electricity for millions of americans impacted by this storm. in fact, it's the third storm in just a year that seems to have crippled the northeast power system. nbc's harry smith takes a closer look at that story for "rock center with brian williams." >> good morning, guys. first it was hurricane irene, then last october's freak snowstorm, and now sandy. mother nature has put an unprecedented strain on the power grid and some experts are wondering if climate change is to blame.

the images from across the eastern third of the nation are still a little difficult to comprehend. but for millions of americans, they are all too real. lines down, nerves frayed, power out. monday night, new york city was on edge, and con-ed the city's electrical supplier was gearing up for the worst. the man at the center of the storm, senior vice president. >> they are forecasted somewhere between 11 to 12 feet peak, and that would be the highest tide the city has ever seen. >> reporter: by 8:00, he had decided he had no choice but to shut down power to lower manhattan. high water was about to inundate underground power supplies. so high, it caused an explosion at a con-ed substation. today, people like the schmidt family have to take the stairs, 13 flights to get to their apartment. >> i was in my daughter's

bedroom and just staring out at the building across the street in great envy watching the lights there. >> reporter: 8.5 million households and businesses lost power in 19 states, and today, over 6 million are still waiting for the lights to go back on. sandy's relentless wind, rain, and storm surge laid the power grid to ruin. and there is a growing consensus that this is all part of a new normal. >> anyone who says there's not a dramatic change in weather patterns i think is denying reality. >> many climate scientists say there is a reason this is happening. >> we're seeing more and more extreme weather events. leading to greater and greater economic damages. and i'm very suspicious that climate change is an important player for many of these. >> reporter: whatever the reason, these storms put the power grid at risk. and for the time being, massive power outages are an inevitable

reality. >> in your view, not science, just your gut, are we living in a time unlike times of the past? >> the simple answer is absolutely. i've never seen anything like this. i mean, we're having an annual storm of the century. it is just crazy. >> i spoke with an official at the electric powers research institute. he said building a power grid that could withstand these kinds of storms is just not economically feasible. so how best to deal with these changes remains to be seen. >> go back to those numbers for a second. he predicted a surge of 11 1/2 feet. >> which would have been the highest ever, it was closer to 14. and there's a piece in the paper trying to figure out is it climate change what's going on? the temperature in the western atlantic, 5 degrees above normal for the end of october. there's something going on. >> harry smith. and by the way, harry's going to have more on a special "rock center with brian williams" tonight 10:00/9:00 central right

here on nbc. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> thanks a lot, matt. a show of hands, who has been stuck in new york? where are you from? >> spokane, washington. >> when were you supposed to go home? >> monday. >> when are you getting home? >> supposed to be tomorrow. >> how about you guys? >> from los angeles, supposed to go home on monday but i'm not leaving until friday. >> you're booked? >> yes, i'm booked. >> good luck. >> and you're here for the marathon. >> we're here for the marathon. >> where did you come from? >> minneapolis. >> when did you get in here? >> just yesterday, but i ran the washington marathon sunday. >> so you just ran up here? >> well -- >> all right, thanks so much. let's see what we've got for you weather wise. it's chilly here in the no we have a trough here in the east and out west, a big ridge. it's a tail of two countries temperature wise. look at the temperatures in the northeast. folks don't have power, don't have heat. it's going to be a rough night tonight and tomorrow. temperatures in the upper 50s.

mid-50s to upper 40s, anywhere from five to 15 degrees below now mall. phoenix, 89. denver, 74. anywhere from ten to 20 degrees above normal. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> sandy is still affecting us. we have the circulation giving us a flow out of the northwest and getting scattered sprinkles. the areas in green and points north and northwest. the sprinkles may be around here for a couple hours or so. chilly, only in the low to mid-40s. clouds around. it's going to be a mostly cloudy day. sun breaking out this afternoon. highs reaching 50s. winds around tomorrow and saturday. over the and these days you want to make sure you check that weather, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com. up next, how to avoid

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100% and light 50 juices. back now with more of the wrath of sandy. with damage estimates topping out at $20 billion. and homeowners desperate to get started on repairs, there are sure to be scammers coming out of the woodwork, unfortunately. jean salvatore is here with sharon epperson. just at the moment, people need the most help sometimes there are con men out there. if you're looking for a contractor, what's your first piece of advice, jean? how do you know if you're running into a scam artist? >> well, the first thing, if anybody asks for money up front,

don't give it to them. that's generally a scam. you do not have to give anybody any money. and don't sign anything. that contract might not be in your best interest. >> what if they're trying to rush you? >> actually, that's a sign this might not be kosher. basically, you don't want to sign anything or give anybody any money. instead, you simply want to take business cards, take names, and then you can check them out. and what you want to do is check their licenses, check references, you want to ask if they have an insurance certificate. you want to vet them carefully. >> what's legit to ask for in terms of up front money? >> right now, you should not be giving money to anybody to start work. you just simply want to collect information. >> so many people must be finding themselves in a position where they've got to find a contractor and don't know where to start. can they call their insurance company and get a list of contractors? >> first thing, what people

should be doing now is letting their insurance company know that they have damage. start the claims process. use your insurance company as a resource. they've gone through this many times, they know what to look for, they can help you with the whole process. so really use your insurance company as a resource. >> and sharon, you say also watch out for subcontractors. you want to make sure whatever dollar figure represents all the work. >> exactly. when you do pay the contractor, make sure everyone they've employed is paid, as well. you could be liable if they're not paid. you want to make sure that whole process goes through smoothly. >> the fema application scam, what's that? >> well, there may be some people who say i can do the fema application for you, pay me a fee, i'll fill out all the paperwork for you. you do not need to do that, you can contact fema directly, and that's what you should do. >> a bogus charity scam. >> that's a huge one. looking at the devastation, you want to help in some way, but be

very careful the charity you're donating to is legitimate. check the irs website, make sure it's something that actually is going to help the victims. and that e-mail, whether you're getting social media, sometimes getting these unsolicited pleas for help, that is a sign it may not be a legitimate -- >> this is surprising, you say identity theft tends to go up in these times? >> well, spam, a lot of spam is happening. fishing scams and all of those types of scams can come up. so a lot of people are saying look carefully at the e-mails you're getting. don't just open it because, again, pulling on the heart strings, be careful. >> bottom line, with the contractors, check their licenses. thank you so much. >> sure. still ahead, the situation at airports three days after the storm. is it getting any better? but first, these messages. that loves to have fun ♪ ♪ it's got something for everyone ♪ ♪ the car of the future many have said ♪ ♪ 'cause at the pump it's miles ahead ♪ ♪ let's hum, hum, hum, hum

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we are back now with another kind of a look at sandy. this is time lapse footage from the 51st floor of the "new york

times" building. and it takes you through the process of sandy arriving. look, you can see the clouds, the daylight, and here's where the storm starts to get intense. and now watch what happens. >> the "new york times" put this on its website. al, you've covered a lot of these storms. how do you compare? >> i never have -- in prepping for this, i had to raid my blizzard bag and my hurricane bag. >> wow. >> because i knew -- normally we're standing around in shorts and crocs while covering this. i was in three layers. but for the people who lived through this and are now living with it, the devastation is just unimaginable. >> you were there by a hotel, right? but it got battered. >> the folks at the white sands hotel who were really sweet to us. we could not have done our coverage without them. but they had a beach side of their hotel. and then across the street, their spa and stuff. and we were there, and i was

there that night when the dune breached. and we had to gather and run like heck. >> do you think we'll stop using the term 100-year storm or storm of the century since we're seeing these? >> i think this is in a sense, the new normal. >> we're going to get to kerry sanders above breezy point, queens, which is one of the hardest hit areas. hey, kerry. >> reporter: let me take you outside and look down here. and what we're looking at here is sort of a combination of that incredible storm surge that came in and rearranged the geography here. such a wall of water built up by this tremendous arrival of sandy. but at the same time, an additional complication here. some of the communities that were preparing for the storm along the coast actually cut electricity off. but here they left the electricity on. and it's still uncertain what caused this fire. but as you see right in there, about 80 homes that were caught

on fire because the fire ignited one and then it began to spread. and of course in the middle of the storm, there was no way to fight that fire. some people decided to ride this storm out in their homes and then had to deal with the fire and were able to evacuate. one of the things that's interested today versus yesterday is that we see some more standing water that has made its way into this community. so while the waters are receding, we still have these high tides, unusually high tides, and you can see some of that water there that has arrived and is now a little deeper today than it was yesterday, guys. >> just give people perspective. breezy point is on a peninsula, the southern end of the peninsula that's across the bay from kennedy airport. and you look across the same section of that bay and you have the manhattan skyline in the distance lower manhattan. so it's a long way to get to by car, it's not that far from where we are right now. >> exactly. >> we're going to have a lot more on the travel delays caused by the storm, but first, check of the local news and weather.

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7:56 is the time now on this thursday, november 1st, 2012. let's get to tom kierein for the latest on the forecast. good morning. >> good morning. first sunrise of november. a cloud cover that's broken a little bit. still a lot of clouds around the last few hours. we have a few sprinkles coming from the clouds where you see the patches of green. parts of northern virginia and maryland. breezy and we'll have sunshine this afternoon with highs reaching the mid-50s. more chilly weather as we get into the weekend and next week with cold mornings and chilly afternoons. >> thank you. >> thai moved to new york to work in fashion.

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good morning. a crash on an intersection. please follow police direct. heading to wol dor f. there's a crash. it blocks the left lane in that area. steady delays from germantown to the beltway. southbound, you are jammed. back to you. >> thanks so much. beautiful sun coming up. another news update in 25 minutes. for now, back to the

♪ 8:00 now on this thursday morning. it's the first day of november 2012. a beautiful morning here in new york. we are listening to the sounds of aerosmith. they have sold more than 150 million albums worldwide. they're members of the rock 'n' roll hall of fame. there is one thing they have never done as a band, and that is perform live on morning television. but that is all about to change tomorrow morning right here on our plaza. it will be hallow rock 'n' roll ground. >> when you look at them, you don't think morning people. >> no. >> but they're going to get up for us tomorrow morning, it's

going to be a great show. and coming up, just to get ready for that concert, we're going to take a look at their rise to the top. five decades of making music and hits and we'll have that story for you in just a little while. >> they started when they were 10. well, we have another legend in the house this morning. no, it is not meredith vieira, it's her dog jasper. jasper is famous because meredith is always bringing him in, bragging about him. but turns out, there's another side to jasper, and richard her husband is here to tell us about it. >> look at meredith's face. >> i want you to know how richard really feels about this dog. the book is called "i want to kill the dog." we'll find out what is at the heart of this division at home. >> you've got to take a side. are you pro jasper or antijasper? >> and that family is split right down the middle. >> certainly is. >> i don't want to -- it depends

on who i'm talking to which side i take. and then we've got jenna bush-hager, she's got a terrific story. when the worst happens in the new york area, it brings out the best in people. and jenna's going to share that with us in a little bit. all right. let's start this half hour over in hoboken, new jersey, and join natalie morales who happens to live there and has the story about how people are struggling with flood waters. natalie? >> reporter: good morning to you, matt. and as you see here, the flood waters have receded substantially. i was flying in a chopper yesterday over this area. there was about 2 to 3 feet of water here still, but it's come down quite a bit. i'd say about 6 to 8 inches or so. unfortunately, a little bit of a concern here with a water main break on this corner. just as these waters were starting to recede and finally drain, there is added water there, which they certainly don't need in this town. 500 million gallons of water flooded this mile square city if you can imagine during hurricane

sandy. the famous pizza place was flooded, the storm surge from the hudson from the west end of town. and as you can see here, it came up to about 4 feet or so. residents had to be evacuated by the national guard yesterday. they had to call them to get them in to get them out of here because they'd been stranded, some for days without food, supplies, water. everything is starting to run out in this town. they've also been cut off with communication. in fact, my neighbors say they feel like they don't know what's going on with the news in the world right now. and people who took their best precautions against the storm surge, sandbagging, even setting up these concrete bricks, if you look below at the basement level apartment to give you an idea of what they will be dealing with here for many, many days to come is excess water. and all of these sublevel apartments, ground floor apartments. but still, this is one community

that really considers themselves fairly lucky because there was no loss of life. but they need supplies, blankets, food, anything to help people get through the next couple of days until the power comes back on and life goes back to somewhat normal. savannah? >> all right, natalie, thank you. well, the nation's air travel is slowly bouncing back from sandy as carriers deal with a backlog of canceled flights. nbc's tom costello at laguardia airport in new york. reopening this morning for the first time since the storm. tom, good morning to you. >> savannah, good morning. look at this. we have activity here at laguardia. we've got people getting out of their cars with their bags and headed toward the terminal. and they're going to get out today. laguardia opened this morning at 7:00 a.m. with two runways operational. but as you know, it has been a mess here today and it's going to be -- it's been a mess over the last few days. and today it's going to be slow going. you'll recall that we had flooded runways, water right up to the jet bridges here at laguardia. and so they had a big cleanup operation.

the airlines have to fly planes in before they can fly planes out of here. so like i said, it's going to be slow going. jfk and newark airports, they opened yesterday, but again, with limited service. today those airports remain open and operational and hopefully they'll get up to speed a little bit more today, as well. and as they all ramp up their service, passengers are strongly urged to check with their airlines to find out if, in fact, their plane is leaving today and on time. one big problem across the new york city area has been simply getting the employees to the airport because many employees have been stuck. so that's an ongoing problem. other airports along the east coast have been opening up. washington, of course, baltimore, philadelphia, boston. the number of canceled flights yesterday, about 2,900. most of those new york flights. today, we got about 600. somewhere between 570 and 600 flights canceled today, that brings to about 21,000 now. the total number of flights canceled since just before sandy

and through this storm. amtrak update for you now. amtrak says it will provide modified northeast regional service between boston and new haven today and between newark and points south starting today. i want to give you an update on the subway system, as well, here. there is some subway activity north of 34th street, but below 34th street, almost nothing. and that has been a real problem for folks in new york city. all of this having a big impact on travel. if you're driving into manhattan today, the mayor has ordered you cannot be in a car with fewer than three people. i've already received e-mails and tweets and texts from friends who are trying to drive into manhattan. they say it is a mess. yet again today over the george washington bridge, here's why mass transit, of course, has been compromised. and with that, we've had massive gridlock throughout the entire city and, of course, you've heard we've had a shortage of gas in the city. all of that causing big problems in the metro area. new jersey as we said, cars line up for miles at gas stations and

at times blocking the highways. last night as i drove in from washington, i saw a line two miles long to get into a gas station off the freeway. i want to show you the gridlock yesterday in new york city. this is why the mayor ordered that we have to start car pooling here. no fewer than three people, again, but it has been wall-to-wall people. so many people know new york and know about the bridges and tunnels. even if you're outside of new york, let me give you a sense of what's going on. the george washington bridge, the outer bridge crossing are all open. however -- and the lincoln tunnel is open, the holland tunnel, though, remains closed. savannah, back to you. >> bottom line, long road to recovery, tom, thank you very much. we want to head over to tamron now for the morning's other top stories. good morning. >> good morning, again, savannah. good morning, everyone. polls show that mitt romney has cut president obama's lead in two key states iowa and wisconsin.

president obama returns to the campaign trail today in wisconsin, nevada, as well as colorado. he toured hurricane damage in new jersey wednesday winning the praise of that state's republican governor. mitt romney campaigns today in virginia where the race is still neck and neck. in the meantime, in an audiotape released by a liberal advocacy group, a republican congressional candidate in washington state says he would oppose abortion in cases of rape or incest because it doesn't make the situation better by, quote, putting more violence in a woman's body. also uses the phrase, quote, the rape thing twice in the recording. officials say four people were wounded by gunfire last night outside a halloween party at the university of southern california. two people were detained. campus police say the shooting resulted from a dispute between nonstudents. the drug company is recalling all of its products after federal inspectors say the firm must improve its sterility

testing process. ameridose is the sister company to the massachusetts pharmacy whose drugs have been implicated in a deadly meningitis outbreak. and now for a look at what's trending today on a quick round-up of what has you talking online. npr has apologized to this 4-year-old colorado girl who was apparently pushed over the line by one of the election bulletins. >> i'm tired -- i'm tired of barack obama and mitt romney. >> that's why you're crying? >> oh, it'll be over soon, abbey. >> yes, abby, just five days left. hang in there, beautiful. hang in there. this video of a homemade father/daughter halloween costume has gone viral. dressed as a power loader from the 1986 movie "aliens." he said he would've had to take off the entire contraption if his daughter had needed a diaper change. and the internet loves this,

cheeky halloween costume worn by ellen degeneres. >> hola, my name is sofia vagara. >> of course, the real sofia had to point out the most outrageous feature the spoof of the dress she wore to the emmies last month. it's now 8:10, back to al with a check of the weather. i think that's one of the best costumes so far. >> why would ellen ruin that for me? why would she do that? ellen! only kidding. we love ellen. let's see what we've got as far as your weather's concerned for today. looking at our pick city montgomery, alabama, wsfa, sunny, mild, 72 degrees. we've gotdegrees.

we have wet weather in the pacific northwest. a system is coming on shore. it's going to affect the northern plains and up state new york by the weekend into the early part of next week. we have remnants of sandy up along the new york/canadian border. beautiful weather from the southwest into texas. gorgeous day to the southeast. cooler than usual. mountain snow is hanging around west that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, breezy and chilly start this first morning of november and a few sprinkles as well. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein. the areas in green are where we are getting sprinkles. drifting off to the east. later today, sunshine in and out. winds picking up a bit to 25 miles per hour. highs reach the mid-50s. the chilly weather continues and the breeze as well.

>> okay. we've got -- >> not on my shoe. >> we've got dinner tonight. >> nice. when we come back, how the storm has brought out the best in some people. not him, apparently. and also, why meredith vieira's husband richard is not a fan of their dog jasper. we'll get to that after these messages. take dayquil... [ ding! ] ...and spend time on the slopes. take alka-seltzer plus cold & cough... [ buzz! ] ...and spend time on the chair. for non-drowsy 6-symptom cold & flu relief. take dayquil. use nyquil... [ ding! ] ...and get longer nighttime cough relief. use alka-seltzer plus night cold & flu... [ coughs ] [ buzz! ] [ screams ] ...and you could find yourself... honey? ...on the couch. nyquil. 50% longer cough relief. [ woman ] too weak. wears off. been there. tried that.

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back now at 8:15 with a familiar face when meredith left the "today" show last year, she said she wanted to spend more time with her husband richard. but if you ask him, meredith's focusing most of her attention on another family member, their dog jasper. >> well, i hear the word jasper, every muscle in my body tightens, my jaw clenches, and i almost back away because i expect a hideous shriek to

follow. and i rest my case. >> i think he's doing it from a good place. i think he's doing it because he's a protector. >> i think jasper is just narcissistic and doing that to hear himself bark. >> i don't think that richard really has ever really taken to jasper the way one would hope. and also maybe there's a little jealousy. >> i'm not jealous of the dog because i don't think i want to be the dog. i find it mind boggling that anybody can be as affectionate and pay as much attention to it as meredith. >> obviously i'm attracted to a type. richard's all bark and no bite. and this one's more bark than bite. >> jasper is very possessive. and really thinks he owns meredith. >> i don't think the dog thinks in those terms. i think the dog sees me as his best friend. >> if i approach the bed, he goes crazy and he goes for my neck. >> i don't think he's ever broken his skin. >> i can't get into my own bed

because the dog won't let me do it. >> i think it's when richard lunges, you know. like one of those quick, in for a quick kiss. the dog doesn't know if it's a kiss, he haso idea. >> meredith is a very stubborn person. she would never admit that the dog's a pain. >> look at him now. have you heard one bark? >> i hear jasper and it -- i find it piercing. it goes through me, and i look at meredith and it's like she didn't hear a thing. i never figured out whether it's total denial. >> perfect animal. perfect. okay. so now there's a little moment of -- good boy. jasper -- jasper.

>> this is a way of life around here. >> meredith, richard and jasper are with us now. richard is the author of the new book called "i want to kill the dog." i had forgotten just how dysfunctional you two were. you know, when you left, it was a weight being lifted. and now i'm reminded of what goes on in the household. >> may i point out that the dog's quiet? >> sitting next to some yapping -- >> oh, thanks a lot. that just set me up. that's just great. how did the book come about? >> you know, where i was beginning work on a much more serious book, another book about chronic illness. and the dog started barking and i was talking to my agent and i said i'd really rather write a book about how i would kill the dog. now, i would never kill a dog. >> let's get that out. there's a lot of animal lovers

out there who are going to say that's a horrible title for a book. >> i would never hurt an animal, but if a meteor landed on his head -- >> it would not upset you. >> no fingerprints. >> do you think it's possible you are a little blind to jasper and some of the dog's more irritating habits? because i have to say, the dog did spend a lot of time around here, and i know -- >> excuse me, what are -- the dog has a barking problem. but i have long felt that it's not the dog that has the problem, it's we as trainers and being -- we didn't do good enough job training the dog. and i take responsibility for that. >> here's what richard writes in the book. and these are comments about you. my wife is a happy puppy prisoner and unreconstructed animal apologist. miss "m" -- >> how do you plead?

>> basically guilty and proud of it. i love animals and like i say, bugs in the house, i free them. that sort of thing. i don't like to harm things. >> isn't there a limit to what we can do for this dog on this show? i remember back -- i mean, first of all, you dragged him out here on your last day of the show as your security blanket. >> i didn't drag him. >> we gave the dog iq tests, genetic tests, weeks of dog training by expert trainers, jasper even got a photo shoot as a result of the show. what more can we do for this dog? >> i think the dog's -- excuse me, the dog speaks for himself. he's perfectly well-behaved. perhaps he's a little bit off. >> richard writes some things about you in the book that are nice. okay, mrs. doolittle. he says she is a fabulous mom, a real friend and a great journalist. and i will tell you that's more in keeping with the guy i know who says these things. because he's an awfully sweet man. has this created some friction

in the house? real friction other than come sell the book friction? >> no. >> not really. >> she tunes me out. you know? >> ear plugs? >> no. in one ear, out the other ear. she just doesn't hear me. and you should hear jasper when the doorbell rings. i mean -- >> nobody in america believes a word what you're saying. >> submarines in the indian ocean are picking this up. >> you mentioned you've written other books, was this a nice break, richard, all kidding aside? >> yeah, it was. it was a really nice break. i've written a lot about my m.s., other people's chronic illnesses, and, you know, meredith and i both use humor as a coping mechanism, i think. it's something we have shared with our kids who have really adapted too. and it's really what helps get you through the day. and i had a fabulous time

writing this book. >> and just in case there are people out there who still think you are two of the most uncaring people by writing this book -- >> me? i have nothing to do with it. >> there's a portion of this -- >> the proceeds will go to the aspca. yeah. there's a hot line set up with the humane society to help people given what happened with the hurricane to relocate their pets and also there are a lot of animals out there that need a home. and i'd gladly take several more, wouldn't you think? >> again, the book is called "i want to kill the dog." >> he doesn't. >> he's kidding. >> meredith and richard and jasper. the best behaved jasper has ever been here on the show. just ahead, how halloween was celebrated here and elsewhere. but first, these messages. [ male announcer ] on one corner, one pharmacist started it all: charles walgreen had a mission to help people be happy and healthy. from inventing the first chocolate malt...

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>> after your local news. 8:26 on this thursday, november 1st. firefighters trying to figure out what sparked a fire in a warehouse in d.c. this is the old union building. at one point, firefighters had to evacuate fearing it would collapse. good morning, i'm aaron gilchrist. let's go tom kierein for a check on the forecast. >> good morning, you might need an umbrella, scattered sprinkles around the area. a chill in the air. it's low to mid-40s now. later today, mid-50s. sun may break out. still a blustery wind on friday. cold in the morning. afternoon highs in the 50s.

partly cloudy. the chill remains saturday, sunday, monday, tuesday. near freezing temperatures. >> aaron? anncr: five hundred and thirty seven. the number of votes that changed the course of american history. newscaster: florida is too close to call... anncr: the difference between what was... and what could have been. so this year, if you're thinking that your vote doesn't count. that it won't matter. well, back then, there were probably at least 537 people... who felt the same way. make your voice heard. vote. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message.

395 northbound at duke. a tow truck is on the scene.

hov is nice and clear but regular lanes, you are jammed. 33 minutes to get from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. >> thank you. tune in to new anncr: five hundred and thirty seven. the number of votes that changed the course of american history. newscaster: florida is too close to call... anncr: the difference between what was... and what could have been. so this year, if you're thinking that your vote doesn't count. that it won't matter.

well, back then, there were probably at least 537 people... who felt the same way. make your voice heard. vote. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message. we're back now at 8:30 on a thursday morning. it's the first day of november 2012. and we're one day away from a huge outdoor concert on our plaza. tomorrow morning, 8:30 half hour, it's all aerosmith all the time. it is their first ever morning show appearance, and we're gearing up. we're looking forward to it. if you're in the area, come on

down on your way to work. it's going to be a lot of fun. matt lauer along with savannah gurthrie, al roker, and tamron hall. and coming up, a look at how aerosmith became one of the biggest bands in the world. and then speaking of music, we want to remind everybody, we've got a live benefit concert tomorrow night on nbc. a lot of great -- >> it's hurricane sandy, people coming together. billy joel, sting, christina aguilera all performing, we're raising money for the victims of the storm. all the proceeds will go to the american red cross. it is tomorrow night 8:00 on the networks of nbc universal. >> and you're hosting it. >> i am hosting tomorrow. >> that's very cool. and then if you went out trick-or-treating in the northeast, you know it had a bit of a different feeling. i took my son out. we're going to take a look at

that. and we also want to show you how the rich and famous in hollywood celebrated. some of the creative costumes, some of your favorite stars wore. and obviously, still thousands of people without power. we're going to take a look at how to whip up a meal with canned goods. maybe not this time around, but you can stock your pantry in case of emergencies and do it the right way. there you have it. >> i haven't used one of those in a while. >> because the power's out, you can't use the electric one. >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather? >> we'll show you what we've got starting with today. tomorrow i should say looking ahead to the weekend. we're going to look at beautiful weather through the southern 2/3 of the country. snow showers and rain showers up to the northern plains, showers in northern new england. look ahead toward saturday. we've got some showers in northern new england, the ohio river valley, rain in the pacific northwest, sunny and mild through the plains into the gulf coast, and then sunday, sunday, we expect more we expec rain down through the lower mississippi river valley.

sunny and cold in the great lakes and into the mid-atlantic states. warm in the southwest with snow showers hanging around. the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. we have a few sprinkles around the metro area. northern virginia and maryland this morning. you might need an umbrella and also a winter coat is still in the low to mid-40s later today into the mid-50s. winds gusting around 20 miles per hour. more of the same on friday. more sun tomorrow and colder in the morning. cold morning saturday into wednesday. chilly afternoon. it does look like we'll have dry weather. clocks back one hour saturday night. don't forget, any time you need that weather, especially these days, you go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. >> weather channel doing great work these days. coming up, we'll look at aerosmith's rise to rock royalty as we get ready for that big concert on our plaza tomorrow. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:35. as we gear up for tomorrow's big concert on the plaza from rock legend aerosmith. >> they first got together back in 1970. well, 42 years later, the band is riding a new wave of popularity as they get set to release music from another dimension. it's their first album of all new material in over a decade. four decades ago, with soaring vocals and a signature shriek, aerosmith and front man steven tyler introduced themselves to the world of rock music. >> aerosmith is unquestionably one of the greatest rock bands to come out of america of all time.

>> with all-time rock classics like "walk this way," "dude looks like a lady" and "sweet emotion," they have remained at the forefront of rock with the simplest formula. >> they have amazing songs. so many moments for so many different walks of people, so many different generations. >> but for years, aerosmith wasn't only synonymous with classic rock, it meant drugs, partying, and bitter infighting. >> we did have our ups and downs, and there were a lot of hard times and a lot of times we knew we'd come back. so, you know, it was -- it's been a very rocky road. >> tyler wrote about the feuding in his memoir and was candid with me when i spoke with him last year. >> wrote a book about lsd. and this is not the drug. lsd is? >> lead singer disorder. >> right. and you had it, right?

>> well, i think we all do as lead singers, right? we front the band. >> yeah. >> therefore, why don't they listen to us? we know everything. >> big ego. >> yeah, of course. >> tough to work with. >> yep. >> made trouble when you could have made peace? >> yep. >> as they rock into their fifth decade, the tough times for aerosmith have all been worth it with a place in the rock 'n' roll hall of fame platinum records in every decade since the '70s. and now a 15th studio album. it's clear they have no intention of slowing down. we are looking forward to having them tomorrow morning our 8:30 half hour. just some practical information. obviously because of the wake of sandy, it's difficult to get into new york city. if you're in the surrounding area and you're planning on trying to come in, leave early, make sure you have three people in your car, you've got to do that, mass transit is sketchy and spotty, so leave early, get here, we would love to welcome you for that concert. >> absolutely. anybody have a special request?

do you think they'll take requests? probably not. i'm requesting "dream on." and we'll see what happens. one of my favorites. it'll be a good show no matter what. but if you are trying to come down, leave yourself plenty of time and be careful. halloween, the celebration was a bit muted here in the northeast as al mentioned a while ago, but families still found time to trick-or-treat. >> improvising there. these are some of the pictures we got sent in on twitter. people enjoying some of the trick-or-treating that was going up on different parts of manhattan, downtown is a mess, but up town, people were able to get around. you got out, didn't you? >> in fact, i think there were more trick-or-treaters this year. we went through four bags of candy and that was just me. just me. >> set him up, right? >> thank you. no surprise really, here's miguel almaguer with that story. >> reporter: when it comes to halloween, you do it like

hollywood. among the decked out masses taking over los angeles streets, pop sensation rihanna last night crowned the queen of west hollywood. even daytime talk had a new look. >> hola, my name is sofia. >> this year, ellen was sofia with her trademark colombian accent. >> my dress was not like that. >> yes, it was like that. >> teen celebs dressing up like other celebs was a popular theme. p. diddy tapped his inner prince, and matthew morrison played homage to justin timberlake and britney spears. emma roberts dressed the part of her famous aunt, pretty woman julia roberts. and derek wibbly did go there,

all done up like ex-wife averil lavigne. >> there are parties all over town and all over the country. celebrities aren't shy about it. they're going to show it off, instagram, tweet about it. >> reporter: hollywood stars went too. ryan seacrest and juliana hough, bonny and clyde. this year she flaunted her shrinking waistline. and kim and kanye made a splash as a mermaid and sailor. >> in hollywood, picking a pumpkin can be an experience. here at mr. bones pumpkin patch, you're as likely to find celebrity and paparazzi as you are costumes. jessica alba brought her kids here in search of the perfect pumpkin. a halloween to remember with so many costumes that will be hard to forget. for "today," miguel almaguer,

nbc news, los angeles. >> cute, right? >> any favorites there? >> no. just ahead, a recipe that even savannah can do. how to turn canned goods into a meal. you've done that. >> not very nice. anncr: it's said that character is what we do...

when we think no one is looking. mitt romney: believe that they are victims. anncr: mitt romney thought no one was looking when...

he attacked forty-seven percent of americans. his companies shipped jobs overseas. his plan cuts millionaires' taxes, but raises yours. he'll voucherize medicare... and make catastrophic cuts to education. so remember what romney said... and what his plan would do. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message. ♪ back now at 8:44 with "today's" kitchen easy as one two three. and this morning, a meal cooked from canned goods for the times you can't or don't want to get to the grocery store. usually when we do homemade we don't necessarily do canned goods, but in trying times. >> yeah. >> are these items you should have in your pantry? >> totally. canned goods, the reason why they're great and people tell you to stock up on them is because they have a long shelf life. if you keep them in a cool, dark

place, not on the refrigerator or something that's going to fluctuate in temperature, they can stay for about two to five years. and they're packed at the peak, vegetables and fruits. so the nutrients and vitamins are all still there. >> they kind of have a bad rep because of additives and stuff. have they gotten better over the years? >> they totally have gotten better. the reason they can stay safe on the shelf is not necessarily for additives and preservetives, it's the way they're canned. brought up to a certain temperature and when it's canned and lowers, the suction creates such a compound situation in there, there's not going to be any kind of bacteria or anything that will happen. >> it's a chemical thing. >> got ya. let's get to the recipe. >> this is my salmon. really easy to do with canned foods. right here i've got bacon fat. i've gotten in some canned pearl onions. >> great. >> a little bit of garlic.

you brown it a bit and then you start adding in your canned lima beans. it's all about corn and peas. >> okay. those are the must-have ingredients. >> i've got a can of peas, again packed at the peak. they maintain the nutrients, corn goes in, as well. little bit of salt and pepper, season it up. >> is that good? >> yeah. good to go. and this is great, it's also inexpensive, especially when you don't have a farmers market that has fresh vegetables and fruits. shop in your pantry. >> what do you add in there? >> a little bit of flour after this browns a little bit. you add this to the top, this will help you create a gravy. >> got ya. >> the glutens will react.

>> you got it. >> and using canned salmon, is that good? >> yeah. it's great. listen, i love canned salmon. it's excellent in this. you can also make salads out of it. if you don't have canned salmon, canned tuna is great in this recipe, as well. you want to look for pink salmon, king salmon, no skin, no bone. >> and you put it in at the last minute. >> at the very last minute, you add it in, add the bacon back in. give it a stir. and then it's going to look like this. >> and we've got about 30 seconds, tell us about the other dish you made here. this is a dessert. >> two cans of peach. this is my peach crisp. peaches, you put them into a dish along with a little butter, flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and top it with a brown topping which is oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, butter, and in about 30 minutes you've got dessert, straight from the can. >> this is my kind of meal, pour a bunch of stuff and stir. >> that's all you have to do.

still ahead, "glamour" magazine. but first this is "today" on nbc.

in virginia, we know education means opportunity. that's why tim kaine expanded pre-k... championed higher ed and job training... helping make virginia "the best state to raise a child." but george allen has not made our kids a priority. as governor, he tried to cut funding for public schools. in washington, allen voted to end tax deductions for college tuition. and now, a budget plan that devastates k-12 classrooms-- all to pay for even more tax breaks for the wealthy. seiu cope is responsible for the content of this ad. this is a chance to smile here for a second as we get back to 8:49. despite the destruction, sandy has brought out the best in a lot of people.

today jenna bush-hager has been seeing that firsthand. >> i have. and it's been great to see living in downtown manhattan myself, i spent the last couple of days without power. and i've noticed countless neighbors helping neighbors and communities coming together to weather the storm. >> reporter: in lower manhattan, part of the city that never sleeps is still in the dark. no power, no hot water, residents coming together to cope. >> it's amazing. witnessing the coming together. >> reporter: from a local grocer packing produce. >> it's about taking care of people. especially when they're most in need. >> reporter: -- to the restaurant owner who has been comforting owners with what else than food? you actually decided over the last couple of days to put out food. >> and we have all of this food here, we decided let's just cook it and we've been feeding the people working downtown, the neighbors, tourists, and anybody

who is walking by. >> reporter: across the river in hoboken, new jersey, 20,000 residents flooded, and almost 90% are still without power. people in the few blocks that were spared are doing what they can to help. >> we have power, running water, food. >> reporter: with just an e-mail, theresa howard mobilized her community. >> sent a notice to everybody saying how about we have a recharge your morning and everybody got onboard and people were pulling out their cables and power chargers and coffee pots. >> reporter: neighbors helping neighbors. >> and this neighborhood looks like really unscathed. looks like nothing happened. but just a couple blocks away. >> just a few blocks west and south, people are still stuck inside their homes, two different worlds right now. we're happy to do whatever we can to help. >> trick-or-treat. >> reporter: and for the kids of hoboken, even sandy's wrath couldn't postpone halloween. >> why are you looking forward to this halloween in particular?

>> because it's halloween. >> it is? >> raise your hand if you've been stuck inside. raise your hand if you were kind of scared when the storm came. was it a lot of wind? >> yes. >> yeah. >> was it loud? >> yeah. >> so is it nice to just have fun? >> yeah. >> just didn't want this halloween to be all about the hurricane. we want them to remember that it's halloween and still having fun. >> through the laughter of children and the generosity of neighbors, people coming together helping one another. >> people come together in bad times, they really do. and i think that's what's happening right now. >> and with school canceled for the next week, parents said halloween helped the kids have fun and move on. it was heartwarming to witness the communities coming together and chip in. i've also heard of groceries -- i actually got some food from whole foods in my neighborhood, which was really sweet and gyms

are giving out day passes to work out and for a hot shower, which is something a lot of people aren't getting in the city. really to see the best of new yorkers and new jersey, people, as well. >> it's a change in way of life for obvious reasons, i know you tweeted the other day you were reading books by candle light. >> she made fun of me. she's like, but you tweeted it. we did walk twice to get some service so we could call our parents and everything. but it's also, many people around the world live like this. so it's been kind of fun. although, my husband and i have had a lot of time to talk, which is great. which is great. which is great. >> fantastic. >> but it's been fun and we've been cooking with lights. and what parents are saying, it gives them time to talk with their kids. well, tonight's "rock center with brian williams" has natalie

showing us what other new yorkers are doing to help residents weather the storm. >> reporter: after sandy struck much of the lower part of manhattan was plunged into darkness. alex baldwin and his wife moved to a hotel to weather the storm. but soon returned to their apartment to help their neighbors. >> in the building we live in, which is a 12-story building with a penthouse in the village, they have a lot of elderly people. there's a real community of them with no elevator service. as you can see there's no power here in the east village anywhere. so in our building, you can assume that people who are elderly can't go up and down the stairs to go get meals or water any prescriptions or even if they can get to them, walk their dogs. so we've volunteered today to standby for a couple of hours to see if we can be of any help to them. we left to go to a hotel because we can't take our dogs up -- we

don't want to take them up and down the stairs 12 flights. >> i think new yorkers really do love each other. the moment something goes wrong, we fight for each other fiercely. >> you can see more on "rock center" which will devote the whole hour to the aftermath of sandy tonight 10:00/9:00 central time. >> first, we'll get an important check of your local weather, news, and see you in a couple of minutes.

8:56 is the time on this thursday. good morning, i'm eun yang. utility crews are working to restore power in the area. let's get a check of the forecast with tom kierein. tom, good morning. >> right now on storm team 4 radar, we are getting scattered

sprinkles across northern virginia and into parts of maryland. a lot of cloudiness around on this first morning of november. it's chilly. low to mid-40s. the wind picks up later today as we climb into the mid-50s. chilly into the weekend and into next week. >> thank you. we'll take a quick break. traffic is up next. stay with us. anncr: which do you believe?

what mitt romney's tv ads say about women? or what mitt romney himself says? mitt romney: do i believe the supreme court... should overturn roe v. wade? yes. and it would be my preference that they, that they... reverse roe v. wade. hopefully reverse roe v. wade. overturn roe v. wade. planned parenthood, we're going to get rid of that. i'll cut off funding to planned parenthood. anncr: no matter what mitt romney's ads say. we know what he'll do. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message.

>> good morning. traveling in the district, sandy has 200 trees still down in the district. let's talk about route 50, delayed as you make your way to landover

back now with more of "today" on this thursday. it's the 1st of november, 2012. nice to see the sun out in the northeast, it's the mid-40s here in new york city. and got to be thinking about all those who do not have power. >> it's going to be a chilly night tonight. and really, the next 72 hours, temperaturesil in the northeast. but, you know, if you've ever lost power in your home, sometimes it feels like it's colder in your house than it is outside. so we really wish the best for our friends who don't have power rit now. >> yeah. people on the plaza, people have come to visit. >> get their flights out.

just ahead, more on the recovery efforts going on across the region. natalie's over in hoboken, new jersey, where people are still stranded by flood waters. we'll check in with her in a couple of minutes. >> then we'll take a turn and check in with "today's" professionals. a lot of people talking about the decision on the new york marathon. and i got my subscription in from "glamour" magazine. i've got the women of the year, including people we really got to know well in london earlier this year. >> all right. before we get the there, let's go across the hudson river, natalie is in hoboken where national guard troops are delivering much-needed food and supplies there. natalie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, matt. and ye that relief is such good news to all here in this stranded town. this city of 50,000 really has left residents here in a lurch. because about 20,000 or so of them were stuck here and couldn't move around because of

the flood waters. as you see, the good news here is that the flood waters have receded a lot. there were about -- there was about 3 or 4 feet of water. it was like roaring rapids down this very street where i'm standing right now. there is a building with a water main break there, but let me tell you, that bit of water is nothing like what was here just as of yesterday as i was flying over in a helicopter, i saw a lot of this area and what was happening here. and there were national guard troops going house to house, door to door trying to get to people who were still stuck here. the good news is, we are seeing residents now, coming out of their homes, starting to pick up the pieces and trying to make sense of what is here and what was their lives. as you see, you know, the sandbags in this resident's home, that did not protect against the storm surge. it came up to about where that person is standing on the stairwell. hopefully that person going int their home did not hopefully see a lot of water inside the house,

but certainly any basement level apartments or any other sublevel, ground level floors were impacted here. but so many people i still think are feeling very lucky because there was no loss of life here in hoboken, though, people do still desperately need help. there are still people who are stranded, the national guard is still trying to get to them. but people here need donations, food, supplies, blankets for warmth, and the power is still out. it will will be for days. those who do have power are taking people into their homes and offering any little bit of warmth and comfort that they can. matt? >> natalie over in hoboken this morning, thanks for yo reporting from there. we appreciate it. >> we just got a tweet from con edison saying they expect the power to be restored in manhattan in buildings that weren't water damaged friday/saturday, i believe what they said. we'll keep an eye on that. it'll be good news for so many people. for now, though, let's head over to tamron hall. good morning, guys.

good morning, everyone. after diverting his efforts to manage the recovery following super storm sandy, president obama is back on the campaign trail today. the commander in chief wednesday in new jersey touring the devastation along the coastline. but he's making up for time today. his republican challenger mitt romney spends the day campaigning in virginia. more than 19 million people have already cast early ballots, but those, of course, won't be counted until november 6th. state prosecutors in pennsylvania are reportedly announcing criminal charges against former long time penn state president graham spanier. they are based on e-mails in which spanier and others agreed not to tell authorities about former football coach jerry sandusky. meantime, sandusky was transferred to state prison where he will serve 3 to 60

years behind bars. and residents in louisville, kentucky, are waiting to return to their homes after workers accidentally sparked a chemical fire at the site of a train derailment. at least three workers suffered serious burns. residents outside the evacuation zone have been warned to stay indoors. a human rights group said syrian rebels killed 28 government troops today in a town that straddles the country's main north/south highway. five rebels were killed in the attack. syrian forces also shelled a town near the turkish border. fighting has escalated dramatically since the failed cease-fire monday. the ameridose drug company is recalling all of the products after they were told they must improve their testing process. it is the sister company to the massachusetts pharmacy whose drugs have been implicated in that deadly meningitis outbreak. ameridose is a major supplier of injectable drugs to hospitals nationwide. they stress the fda did not identify any impurities in its

products and that the recall is out of p an abundance of cautio. bionic man zach botter is going to attempt to climb the stairs. he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident will now use an experimental prosthetic leg that is controlled by his mind. that's something. it is now six minutes after the hour, we are rooting for him. we'll be following, maybe even tweet about it if we get some power around here, al. >> yeah. >> isn't that fantastic? unbelievable. >> that's like science fiction. thanks so much. let's see what we have for you. concerned. remnants of sandy up in canada bringing wraparound moisture and lake-effect enhanced rain. the rest of the country, we have more rain in the pacific northwest, mountain snows in the plains. plenty of sunshine in the

southern two-thirds of the country. the chillier side in the southeast with temperatures in the 50s and 60s there. above normal in the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> i'm storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein. sprinkles moving into washington over the next few minutes or so. scattered sprinkles around the region. during the afternoon, sun should break out with winds gusting 20 miles per hour. temperatures are now in the 40s, climbing to the mid-50s. friday, saturday and sunday and into next week, each day, cold mornings and chilly afternoons. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? al, thank you very much. up next, "today's" professionals breaking down the hot topics of this morning with savannah right after this. google, how much does the earth weigh? google voice response: earth has a mass of five point nine... ♪sleep on needles by sondre lerche

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back now with another edition of "today's professionals." and here to tackle the headlines, star jones, donny deutsch, and alex wapner. we're happy to have you guys here. speaking of the storm, on tuesday night, mayor bloomberg here in new york decided the new york city marathon will go on. this is happening despite the fact that this is a city still in crisis. traffic is at a stand still. the subway system barely corralling back. was this the right call given the circumstances? >> my immediate gut was thanking mayor bloomberg. i know that the numbers of

resources that are going to be ed for the marathon is going to be tough for our city, but you think about it. about $340 million, $350 million that will come in because of it and the city could do it. and i think the ability to cheer on other people is going to help us through this. >> since we did an interview this morning, matt did with the head of the marathon, gotten a lot of tweets and viewer mail, they don't take that position. a lot of people think this is not something to be doing when the city is in crisis and you're diverting resources, potentially police resources to the marathon. >> i guess i'm in -- i have a contrary opinion, which is now more than ever. i mean, if you've been to the marathon, you can feel the sense of community that's in the air. it's about people coming together as star said to cheer each other. and look, the city is in crisis. but i think there's something to be said for what that does mentally in terms of lifting spirits, the emotional benefit of it.

i think to cancel it would be -- you know, new york is big, it's a strong city, and we don't let -- >> i couldn't disagree with you guys more. i understand the psyche argument. i'm going to take the ceo argument. it's a zero sum game. we know what it costs, the police officers, the extra tens of millions of dollars, and i would rather have a given police officer or given fireman downtown helping an old woman up and downstairs at the very least than watching a bunch of runners go by. i actually think it's -- why not -- >> well -- >> honestly, i think it's a borderline ludicrous decision. the city etc. when it's a marathon gets tangled up to begin with. they close the bridge, honestly, and i love bloomberg and i'm a big bloomberg guy and love what he's doing with soft drinks, i think this is a ludicrous decision. >> i'm still of the opinion when we can cheer in the midst of tragedy, it's a good thing.

>> you know what? we are all talk that we have not lost power. i wonder if the people downtown are going to be cheering. >> you know -- >> the strength and resilience of the city that the mayor who has taken a very -- as you said zero sum attitude toward many other things is saying we're going to go forward. >> let's take a poll of the people affected. >> i have someone staying with me from downtown because she has no power and the first thing she said was that marathon's going to be a good thing. >> we shall see. the show will go on no matter what. apple exit. did you hear about this? the ceo of apple asked for basically, the guy who basically was in charge of the mapping on the new iphone that was so widely panned and reportedly one of the reasons why he was forced out was because he refused to sign a letter of apology for some of the missteps. what do you think about that? >> someone needs to apologize for that mapping software. i have been lost for days on end

following that apple software. steve jobs never would've let this happen. there's a lot of question about -- >> we're learning the nucleus of that company was the brain of jobs. i don't think that -- and also, the feud between google and apple is so at the forefront given this whole -- >> larger question to you, donny, as our business guy, at what point do you think it's good for a company to come out and apologize. that's something that steve jobs was not into. >> well, the agency handles the company. apple has a problem that they're almost too high up there. sometimes when you are so in such rarefied air that when something goes wrong, it gets magnified. two issues here. number one, apple was built on design and function. and that's their whole premise. and now that software more than ever is becoming a bigger and bigger part, this may really be

a chink in the armor. when you want to ai am the ceo of this company, you take out one of the other guys lead lieutenants. so i think there's something going on there also. baby out on the town. halloween was not canceled for everyone. kelsey grammer and his wife attended the party at the playboy mansion and they had their 3-month-old baby and a lot of pple were upset about this. where do you come down on this? do you think it's appropriate? >> well, one, i don't know why i know about it. you are grown people, and what you do with your baby unless you're giving it alcohol shouldn't be my business. but now that you've made it my business. >> now that you're asking. >> now that you've made it my business, i don't understand how kelsey and katie or whoever he's married to now could not find a babysitter. that is the most annoying thing in the world. >> one parent stays home and the

other goes off to the playboy mansion? >> how about miss a party? there's a billion parties, just miss it. oh, i'm not going to make the party this year. >> the baby's 3 months old, she's not going to have any memory? >> well, there's a photograph that will live on with a baby and a bunny. you know. >> i play two roles here. one, i would certainly love to be invited to a playboy party. but more importantly, i'm a dad. some things you don't need to do. by the way, just some things, the kid is not going to be scarred. it's just about your own -- and i like kelsey, he's a good guy. it's just about sometimes you have to -- what does this look like? what does this say about me as a person? who needs it? he's smarter than that. >> it's another party. you miss it. it'll be all right. another one's coming next week. >> i can do some pick-up babysitting. >> and we've learned that donny is available for next year's party. >> i have yet to be invited. it literally, i'm somewhere ten

rungs below polly shore. >> next topic, schools bribing parents. we talk from time to time about parents bribing kids to get them to do something. in chicago there's a pilot program where parents will be given a $25 walgreen's balance reward program if they pick up the report card and attend parent/teacher conferences. >> i have two things to say on this. one is, i don't think we can underestimate the economic stability and giving a child a good education. if parents are working multiple jobs, it's hard to be a good parent, hard to be there for the parent/teacher conferences. inso far as this alleviates economic stress, i think it's great. >> is this the reason behind this, though? >> this is -- that's why it's a two-fold answer. the second part is, there's something that feels not quite right about having to incentivize good parenting. >> let me challenge that for a second. if at the end of the day -- and you're right, it's all about getting better education for

kids, and if although it's horrible -- >> and crass -- >> but if this gets the job done as the ceo, i say do it. >> you may think there's an ick factor. >> if it gets the job done, i'm for it. >> and offering a buffet lunch will get a parent in to care about their child and their child's relationship with that school, then that's what you need to do. whatever's necessary. >> let's do our next topic, i otball dancing. ow star's a big football fan. >> exactly. >> the jacksonville jaguars are trying to -- >> jacksonville? >> did i not say it right? >> jaguars. >> what do you say? >> jaguars. >> isn't that what i said? >> i'm sorry. >> whatever. >> this is not the topic. >> exactly. go ahead. >> the jacksonville -- those people, have decided that the head coach does not want the players to do the end zone dance. so if they just hand the ball to the referee, he will make a donation, team will make a donation to charity. >> what do you think about this?

i think the end zone dance is kind of fun. if you do too much of it, it's illegal. >> girl, i look for the time for victor cruz to do -- >> that's how i feel about it. >> how do you know if a tou touchdown is scored if no one is in the end zone? >> what i don't understand if you're a coach and you're in charge of your team, guys, it's not happening, you will not be on the field if you dance. why do you need to do that that way? once again, i've never coached a football team, but trust me if i wanted it done that way, it would be done that way. >> they need a buffet lunch. >> to incentivize them. >> i think it shows weakness in the coach. >> they're going to give the money to charity, i can understand that. but this is football, y'all, let us have something that's fun. you keep trying to be nanny state and clamp down on everything -- >> if you're going to reform football, let's start with the head trauma, the injuries, the rough stuff, and not the end

zone dance. >> espn picks up, this is what they run. and you do it, you do want to send the signal to young people, it's not about that, there is a sportsmanship issue. there is a reason behind it. >> don't be a fuddy duddy, you'll never get the invitation to the playboy mansion. good to have you. nice to see you guys, thank you. coming up, a first look at "glamour" magazine's women of the year. but first these messages. [ female announcer ] why settle for plain bread? here's a better idea.

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good morning. it's 9:26. on this thursday, november 1st, i'm aaron gilchrist. we'll start with tom kierein and the forecast. >> sprinkles. it's still chilly. 40s throughout much of the region. today, mid-50s. sun breaking out this afternoon. a bit of a blustery wind. cloudy, breezy on friday. a chilly pattern remaining all the way to midweek next week. that's the way it looks. aaron? >> thank you, tom.

anncr: which do you believe? what mitt romney's tv ads say about women?

or what mitt romney himself says? mitt romney: do i believe the supreme court... should overturn roe v. wade? yes. and it would be my preference that they, that they... reverse roe v. wade. hopefully reverse roe v. wade. overturn roe v. wade. planned parenthood, we're going to get rid of that. i'll cut off funding to planned parenthood. anncr: no matter what mitt romney's ads say. we know what he'll do. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message. good morning, checking out dlas around the beltway. sluggish around new hampshire avenue. slow travel speed, 33 miles per

hour from i-95 to 270. it will take 17 minutes. slow in virginia between the interchange and dulles toll road. you are at 29 miles. 26 minutes to make the trip.

♪ you are listening to one of the many hits from aerosmith's extensive catalog. and they will be with us tomorrow on the plaza. and we'll have a live concert. and we're hoping to give the new york area a much-needed lift after a tough week. i'm savannah gurthrie alongside al roker and tamron hall. >> it's going to be a little chilly. >> well, it's an aerobic activity. it's not the only concert tomorrow. we want to remind you that the networks of nbc universal will bring a special concert tomorrow

night. >> that's right, performers include the likes of bruce springsteen and the e street band, along with jon bon jovi, billy joel, sting, christina aguila aguilera, matt's going to be hosting it and it benefits the red cross starting tomorrow 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night across the networks of nbc universal. >> fantastic. they can put all of those big names together. >> in about a minute. >> less than a minute. >> meanwhile, just ahead, some remarkable women, ""glamour" magazine's most glamorous women. >> mr. roker, nice and sunny around here. >> that's right. finally. let's look at your wait a second weekend ahead starting with we have a gorgeous day in the southeast through the gulf coast and into the southwest. rain in the pacific northwest and mountain snow in the plains.

as we move ahead toward saturday, showers in northern new england. showers in the ohio river valley. plenty of sunshine in the southwest. on sunday! sunday! more rain in the lower mississippi river valley. showers in the pacific northwest. sunny and cold in the northeast and new england. hopefully our friends get their power back. sunshine and mild conditions in the that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. a cloudy and chilly start to november around much of the region, still in the mid to upper 40s. the radar is showing scattered sprinkles in the areas in green. we have a few of those around here for a couple hours. we'll hover in the 40s here for another few hours as well. making it into the low and mid-50s by mid afternoon with sun breaking out and winds gusting around 20 miles per hour. the chilly pattern continues. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thanks. and coming up, an inspiration to all of us.

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back now with the first look at "glamour" women of the year. as they recognize the most glamorous from all walks of life. it's always a pleasure to see you on. >> thank you. good morning. >> good morning. let's talk about how you narrow it down. so many women to choose from. >> so many amazing women out there this year. but we really look for women who not just had a great year, but had a particularly great year this year. and we quite honestly look for the give back factor. not just doing great things for themselves, but in some ways have made the world a better place. >> that's fantastic. let's get to the list. starting off with a cover girl

selena gomes. she's a young woman now. >> she's our youngest ever woman of the year cover star, by the way. >> wow. >> and she would have been a woman of the year for her professional accomplishments. she started on the disney channel and has become a multi-platinum blockbuster pop star and movie star, has her own fashion line, et cetera. but what really captured our attention is that she is -- and most people don't know this the youngest ever ambassador to unicef. >> not just a celebrity title. >> no. she's involved. >> does the work. not just her name on the program. it's real. >> and also, i guess when she was talking with your staff, she kept some very positive responses going. >> well, when we talked to people about her, they all kept saying the same thing, which is she's not entitled. not one of these young actresses who sort of has the feeling that all good things should come to me because i'm famous, and there are a few of them out there. >> not the spoiled hollywood

girl. >> she feels she wants to give back to her fans. >> another great woman, 26 years old, she's the force behind the hit show on hbo. she's everywhere. >> she is. this is inarguably the biggest tv debut of the year. and young women in particular worship her. love her, follow her on twitter. she is the creator, the writer, and the star of it. i'm sure she basically works the craft services. it is all her. and women love it because it's so real. >> is it her independent streak? she wore this really short skirt on one of the red carpets and she said deal with it. if you don't like my thighs, get over yourself. >> yeah, i think she's comfortable being herself. and the show shows women who don't have quote unquote perfect jobs, lives, bodies, and boyfriends, but it's incredibly entertaining. and i think it makes women feel great to watch it. >> next up on the list, the women of the olympics. for many reasons, but that's some serious girl power. >> yeah. this was -- they were calling it

team title nine this year. opened all those doors for women. and if you look at the big stories of the olympics were, so many of them women stories. >> i have to remark about the picture. that's an awesome photograph. >> isn't that amazing? >> and all those gold medals. they take them everywhere, they're incredibly proud, very, very humble. you had so many firsts. gaby douglas becoming the first african-american woman standing on the top podium in the individual gymnastics competition. missy franklin still in high school and brought home so many golds in swimming, four golds and five medals overall. you had the american soccer team which won their match and carly lloyd who scored both goals in that match. and an incredible range. kayla harrison brought the first judo gold. >> another person on the list, most people would expect to see on a list of this compiled together, supreme court justice

ruth bader ginsberg, again, the obvious reasons, very powerful force. >> and powerful in ways that i think many people don't realize. it's hard to imagine a day when women didn't have equal rights and things like housing, social security, and things like that. the reason so many of those laws are no longer on the books is because of justice ginsberg as her days as a lawyer and then as a justice, she has upheld fairness for women. we made her our lifetime achievement winner this year as a way of saying thank you. >> and the last person we'll talk about, erin marin. >> she's only 27, most people have not heard of her. >> her story is unbelievable. >> she had a tough childhood. sexually abused at the hands of two different men as a child. and she had the guts to come forward about it. but also now is advocating for schools to begin educating children about sexual abuse. and she puts it, we do fire drills, we do tornado drills, we do bus drills, we need to teach children about this. and erin's law as it's called has passed in four states and on the books for ten others next

year. >> well, she is so inspiring. it is amazing what she has survived. and to reach out and help other kids. and such positive example. cindy, thank you so much. pleasure seeing you. >> thank you. >> and "glamour's" women of the year will be honored at carnegie ha. we'll be back with more "today" after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] at yoplait, we want you to feel even better about your favorite flavors. so when you call, tweet, and post, we listen. that's why yoplait light and yoplait original are now made with no high fructose corn syrup. and why we use only natural colors and natural flavors in yoplait original. so, anything else we can do for you, let us know. but you'll keep it to yogurt, right? 'cause we shouldn't really help with your love life. yoplait. it is so good!

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each year, nearly 400,000 babies are born to young women between the ages of 15 and 19 years old. for many of those new mothers, finishing school is not an option. but one principal is trying to change that. "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush-hager has more. good to see you. >> good to see you. he has been giving teen moms the opportunity not only to finish school but to start a lifelong education process for their babies. >> reporter: at first, the high school looks like any other. students in class learning, listening, taking notes. but just down the hall, a very different type of education is

taking place. >> we started a really developmentally appropriate early education program. >> at the katherine ferguson academy in detroit, the soul of the school, andrews has created a loving environment not just for her students but also for their babies. >> last year she was in the infant room, now she's in the junior toddler room. everything they teach the kids in there is great. >> one of four high schools in the u.s. designated exclusively for high school mothers. with 220 students, the academy, which caters to pregnant teens and teen moms wasn't always like this. 26 years ago, principal andrews housed babies in a crib in her office. >> it was a little program that was hidden, nobody knew about it. >> reporter: as the demand increased, andrews saw the importance of creating an environment supportive of teen moms, but also gave their babies a head start. >> what do the moms get coming to this school they wouldn't get in another school?

>> they get a staff that is focused on them. that is not mad about them being pregnant or parenting, who celebrate the fact that even though they're pregnant and parenting, they're still in school and they're participating in making a life for themselves, giving themselves some choices. >> reporter: choices that can transform these students' lives. >> part of what happens, and it is kind of a bizarre thing to say. for many girls, getting pregnant in high school changes their lives in ways that i don't know what else would've. it's a lifesaver really. >> if you weren't in this school, where would you be? >> i would be out of school, i'd drop out. i wouldn't be in school. because i can't bring my baby to school, no one will watch him and i don't have the support team. >> what do you want for all of your girls? >> i want them to have a future that they determine. i want them to feel like they have some power to determine their own future and that they come back and give back. >> do you guys want to go to college?

>> yes. >> reporter: for the girls at the academy, heading to college is not just a dream, but a requirement. principal andrews won't allow any student to graduate without having been accepted to college. >> you know all of us have something in common. and all of us could believe in each other that, you know, we can graduate stuff like that. i mean, i do. >> reporter: the education these girls and their babies receive spans outside the typical classroom walls. for three years, select students have been afforded the opportunity to travel internationally. the academy's also the proud home to an urban garden and farm. a place where the city kids thrive. >> my son, he likes just looking around us. when he comes up like he's never been outside before. >> he's curious. >> he is. >> reporter: this school and its garden nurtured these students to raise a new generation of loving kids. >> as my child gets older, i want to show her even though

mommy had you at a young age, i still finished high school, still graduated, i went to college, you know. i made something of myself. and i'm going to tell her you can do it too. >> for a city with one of the highest dropout rates in the country, it was inspiring to see these two generations excited about learning. and they actually go to south africa, which is amazing. and one of those girls said, you know, now i'm not just a girl from the block. i'm a girl -- i'm an international girl and i can tell my son that he's a kid of the world. >> what an inspiration that principal is. >> she's amazing. >> really. jenna, thanks for that story. and we're back in a moment. but first this is "today" on nbc.

back now with more on the damage from sandy. nbc's michelle franzen is in seaside heights, new jersey. one of the cities most harshly

affected by sandy's wrath. >> reporter: finally rescued from her seaside heights home after riding out hurricane sandy, they stepped off a national guard truck wednesday happy to be on the mainland in toms river. >> when the water came in, all of a sudden it was up to here. it was a very sudden thing. i don't think anybody over there was prepared for it. >> and no one was prepared to see the aftermath. streets and homes once flooded now covered in debris or destroyed. >> it's still hard to believe. you know, you think you're going to wake up any minute. it's just sickening. it's sad. >> reporter: the beach community most recently put on the map by mtv's "jersey shore" was virtually wiped out by hurricane sandy, the town's biggest attraction, the boardwalk and amusement rides including the iconic roller coaster now propped in the atlantic ocean after sandy ripped away the

boardwalk underneath it. >> take a look out here now and you see all this devastation in an area where you guys have lived. >> it is. that's all it is, devastation. no other word for it. >> captain joseph mitchell and rescue crews have spent these last few days going door-to-door and helping stranded residents like c.j. and his friend's dog willie get out. >> yeah, she's probably cold and excited. >> reporter: just north along the jersey shore, dozens of homes and the entire landscape has been violently altered by the force of mother nature. for residents like melissa griffith who witnessed sandy's wrath, it was a life-altering experience. >> i was born and raised on the beach. this is all i know. and i survived this one. and everyone says it's worse than '62. i survived. >> michelle, thank you. and while we're talking about sandy, we should also mention the number of animals and pets

impacted by the storm. and we saw in that video the woman with her three dogs and we've seen this before, al, hurricane katrina, for example, people risked their own lives because they didn't want to leave their pets behind. >> and first responders taking that just as responsibly and as important as rescuing any human. because they're so important. they become parts of the family. >> exactly. and we don't know how many dogs and cats and other pets have been taken into shelters, but meredith was on earlier mentioning the aspca and other organizations have stepped up to help. that dog's like, thank you, sir, thank you. i don't need any bacon bits or anything. >> look at that. >> hey, we also want to remind you, tonight's rock center with brian williams will be completely devoted to the recovery from sandy. you can watch it 10:00/9:00 central right here on nbc. >> incredible lineup there. and just ahead, kathie lee and hoda, but first, your local news and weather. anncr: five hundred and thirty seven.

the number of votes that changed the course of american history. newscaster: florida is too close to call... anncr: the difference between what was... and what could have been. so this year, if you're thinking that your vote doesn't count. that it won't matter. well, back then, there were probably at least 537 people... who felt the same way. make your voice heard. vote. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message.

9:57 is the time now on this thursday, november 1st, 2012. good morning, i'm eun yang. let's check the forecast with tom kierein. >> good morning. scattered patches of rain moving from the north. those areas of green on the storm team 4 satellite radar image. temperatures are still chilly in the 40s. most of the region, reagan national at 49 approaching 10:00. for the rest of the afternoon, a

lot of clouds around. might have a few breaks. highs reach the low to mid-50s by later this afternoon. then, as we get into friday, saturday, sunday, chilly weather but should be dry and cold mornings. danella, how is traffic? >> delays are dissipating. great news along 29. big delays. southbound is better between the beltway. travel lanes are open. 50 in maryland. landover road, clear. on 395, a bit under speed, but not by much. 40 miles per hour. >> thanks. >> t[ minto ] you know, those ads saying mitt romney

would ban all abortions and contraception seemed a bit extreme. so i looked into it. turns out, romney doesn't oppose contraception at all. in fact, he thinks abortion should be an option in cases of rape, incest, or to save a mother's life. this issue's important to me, but i'm more concerned about the debt our children will be left with.

i voted for president obama last time, buwe just can't afford four more years. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. . >> narrator: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotbive from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. welcome to thirst y thursday. it feel like the first day of november. >> it is chilly. >> temperatures have really dropped. i feel for everybody who is still without power. >> the funny thing, usually with tropical storms when you cover them or whatever, you're wearing like warm summer clothes. and this is the first time ever that i felt a tropical storm

coupled with the cold weather and it just changes the whole game for people who are hurting. we do have good news, though. >> we do. we keep hearing the heartbreaking stores. but our own matt lauer, he called up steve burke our ceo and said may i have an hour of prime time tomorrow night at 8:00 because i'm going to call some friends. and he called bruce springsteen and billy joel and jon bon jovi and christina aguilera and alicia keys and a whole group of people. and guess what? one solid hour of a music extravaganza. and it will be across the platform. no commercials. >> we're talking about bravo and all the networks. >> unenter represesbeuninterrup. and instead of a telethon, it will just have the red cross phone number at the bottom, and.

hour, all that hone will go to the hurricane victims. so tomorrow, 8:00. >> it's not just a smart thing to do, it's a right thing to do. and i'm really proud of our guys. so everybody tune in, okay? >> social media, it's funny when this matters. because when you lose power and any kind of communication, things like twitter become important. it's weird because even when we were -- >> it's the only thing you have. >> i remember thinking we don't have a radio, withis wasn't working. >> you always have to have a radio. >> can't keep track of everything. we have twitter and it's a lifesaver. but anyway, for a lot of people, even people trapped or who are looking for someone, a lot of people are posting things. and joanne, one of our producers, she was -- she saw a host from a high school friend of someone looking for their mother. another high school friend saw the facebook post, went to the

house, hadn't seen the person it in 40 years since elementary school or something. and she went to the mom's house, rang the door bell, saw her, put on facebook your mom's okay. >> can you imagine? >> yeah p. it's a lot. >> it's awesome. and apparently a lot of kids are trying to get in on this. there's a little 11-year-old girl who realized that some people don't have power and so she set up a little internet cafe, right, in hoboken. her name is lucy. her dad helped her establish a pop up internet cafe charging station. >> people can plug their stuff in. and people are putting those things out everywhere by the way. so there are lots of attentions getting a lot of media attention and then there will are a lot of neighborhoods that aren't getting the media attention that need help. they immediate food, water. what's your neighborhood? >> new providence, new jersey.

>> our senior producer lives there and this is one of those places where this is around the time where if even you got everything right, you have water, you have food, thousand we' now we're talking about thursday already. >> a six month old running out of formula. >> yeah. that's one of the spots they need the fema and red cross trucks. >> but obviously the news organizations, they see the most devastating pictures but that doesn't tell the whole story at all. so keep taking care of your neighbors. one thing, i think mayor bloomberg has done a terrific job. but i do not agree with his decision this coming sunday to hold the marathon. i just wish we could have waited one week. i know they want to bring -- they want to keep going. that can-do spirit. it's important. but it's almost impossible to get around this city now, much

less i don't know how 30,000 more people will get in. i don't know where they will say. you cannot get a hotel room right now. you can't get any gas anywhere basically. and all the restaurants are completely packed because people have to go out. >> and the beautiful thing about this marathon is it goes through all the boroughs. and they were saying it wasn't going through the devastated areas, but it starts from staten island which is not getting a lot of media attention, but is a terribly devastated area. and then supposed to snake around. i get why he's doing it. >> to bring more commerce again into the city which we need. i just wish we could have delayed a week. >> yeah. anyway, that's the way it will be. >> honestly, if you can avoid coming into new york on sunday, you will be very grateful to us because it is one of the worst days of the entire year anyway if you're not involved in that race. >> and there is some progress. we always say they talked about thousands more people have

gotten power on, subway service is starting to work. >> a train came in from connecticut. >> jyeah. so there are baby steps we're making. if you see other people getting it, you're wondering when is our turn. the election has taken a back seat to this whole thing for most people. there's a little girl, she was in the back of her car and her mom had the radio on and it was all politics and she couldn't stand it, this 4-year-old was screaming uncle. watch her. >> uncle, uncle! obama and mitt romney. >> what's why you're crying? oh, it will be over soon, abby, okay? >> okay. >> she's an independent.

i feel like she does. >> apparently they were listening to npr at the time and the people went to her house and apologized with a t-shirt. and there's another picture of her like with her t-shirt. >> well, there's good news if you do have power, you can watch a horror flick because that can lead to weight loss. >> something to do that'ses positive while you're at home. so if you're watching a horror movie, it is the equivalent of the calories you would burn if you walked for half an hour. >> and one of them is the most, the most calories burned would be the shining. they say it's because your heartbeat gets up so high. but if you've seen the movie before -- >> you know what's coming. the second one is jaws. >> yeah. 151 calories apparently. >> jaws used to look scary, but now -- >> now it looks electric. >> you can't believe you were ever afraid of it.

>> the one that always scared me is the exorcist. and what about silence of the lambs? oh, that's terrifying. >> one of thoeof those movies i he had never seen. >> so if you like music, everyone's got -- most people have an ipod. >> i like good music. sbl. >> some people have a walkman. but this is what obama has on his ipod. stevie wonder, a little james brown, rolling stones, a little bob dylan. and some eminem. and miles davis. >> eclectic. >> he has a mixed bag. >> what does governor rom aney listen to? >> i don't know. >> i wonder if he has one? ♪

>> we'll wait until tomorrow i think to have your ipod things up. that's what i was told. >> why? >> because we had so little time today. that's what i was told. is that true? >> that's true. >> that's a bummer. >> not really. >> i had one that you were going to love. all right. >> i don't know. i don't make these decisions, hoda woman. >> so coming up, men and their moms. we'll tell you how to deal with the other women in their lives. >> and what do they look like now? the results of our makeovers. but first these messages. inch . [ mom ] we already have a tv. would you like to know more about it? yeah, but let me put my wife on speaker. hi! hi. it's led and it has great picture quality. i don't know... it's ultra slim... maybe next year. you could always put it on layaway and pay a little at a time. alright. we'll take it! ah! i love you! hmm! ahem. football. [ male announcer ] shop now.

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whether charming or cringe-inducing, your man's mom plays a serious role in your relationship with him. >> and knowing how to deal with that him would is crucial to that union. >> so now we have some advice.

hi, ladies. so this is a really important relationship. your boyfriend/husband's mom is probably the first woman they ever loved obviously. >> and they probably want that kind of i would imagine nurturing. >> it's true. it's the relationship that sort of sets the tone for all the relationships that he has moving forward. so what she gave him sort of in the beginning really sort of sets the patterns that he'll enact with you his partner moving forward. >> poor cody. i feel for him. >> not everybody adores their mother. so this could be a good thing or bad thing. i always heard you find a man who loves his mother and he'll be good to you. is there any truth to that? >> well, i think there is because if you're with a man who likes their mother, it really trains them to like women. and if they care about what their mother thinks, although the the girlfriend or wife may think that's a bad thing, in some ways it's a good thing because they want to feel connected and bonded to the woman in their life. and that's a positive. >> well, getting along is

subjective, i guess. some people tolerate and some people really bond. what's the right way to go if it's not a terrific relationship? >> i think it has to be based on mutual respect and loving -- the mother loving the son and you loving her son, as well. >> common ground. >> you love the same person and it can't be a competitive love. it's not -- you can't make your man choose sides because you're setting everyone up to lose in that situation. >> and you could just look for the good in the mom. maybe you don't like some things about her, but obviously there's some things your husband loves. >> and this woman raised the man that you fell in love with. >> so she did something right. >> and she shaped his love nest. so part of the reason why he chose you is because in some ways you felt familiar to him. so if you can reframe it and not get lost in the negativity, it can be very helpful. because it's so easy to get lost in one's rightness. >> the hardest part is when the mother keeps trying to be the

mother in spite of the fact that the man is now a grown up human being and has a wife and a separate relationship and it's natural to resent her coming in and basically trying to run the show. >> and let's face it, some mother-in-laws are not nice or likeable. so you may not like them appropriately so. >> so what do you to with them? >> i think it's really up to the man in that situation to stand up to his mother. it's important that he be -- >> hers a m they're a mommy's b sometimes. >> you say you have your own relationship with your mother. take a break and say i may not want to have a friendship with this woman, but i know i want to and that's okay sometimes. and sometimes put your foot do you have and say i don't want to spend every holiday with your mother. can we take a little bit of a break. >> i live in a real world where

i see people struggling with why do we have to go to your mother's for thanksgiving, can't we once in a while -- >> but sometimes you go because you're sacrificing, right? >> that's what love is, but how many people really love like that, hoda woman? just me i guess. >> if you have your own relationship with your partner's mother, maybe you learn about a new side of her and you develop your own unique relationship with her, that's the best case scenario. >> the mom's jealous or the wife isn't like all the attention that the son is placing on the mom, what's the right way to handle something like that? >> i mean, i think you should be up front and honest, but still gentle and respectful. i think you express it maybe less to the mom and more to your partner so that he is clued in what you're feeling. any think that you sort of fester with will really blow up in everyone's faces later on. >> and there really is a place for two kinds of love. the love for a mother and love for a partner is very dferent

and there can be room for both. but you're right, it really does depend on the husband or boyfriend in this situation to navigate appropriately. >> let's get some takeaway trips. find something you like about his mom. that's one. >> and small as it may be. maybe it's just you like her nail polish. >> live on the nails. >> believe it or not, that shift can change everything. people -- >> give her a compliment about it. >> even though it's something small, it can really have a huge dynamic shift. at least temporarily. >> ask her about herself it seems to me. a lot of people, especially if the mother has lost her partner, the it w it was mother-in-law day last week and out of the blue, frank sent my mom a beautiful bouquet of flowers and she sobbed all day long. >> that's beautiful. >> but i didn't even know.

>> that day got forgotten in my house. just something kind you wouldn't think about doing ordinarily. >> all right, ladies. >> frank -- we got married in october and his mother died a month later. 26 years ago. and frank has always said that i killed his mother. we have great thanksgivings. >> i knew we should have wrapped early. nobody listens. we have a thrill of a ride video. >> and new looks revealed. >> i told you, wrap it when it's time to wrap it. it 's

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it is time for lovely sarah to did he go up the next video. and this will put a smile on your face. >> we certainly hope so. as usual, we've gone to the dogs. a parody of michael jackson's classic video thriller. >> i love this one. >> that's right, from the king of pop to the king of puch of p

halloween themed video created by the pet collective. >> okay. which costume do you want to wear this year? ♪ ♪ ♪ >> come on, sweetie.

>> that's cute. oh, freaky. >> there are those of us with pets who dress up our pets and those of us who don't. >> do you? >> no. >> do you? >> not really. they don't like it. i dress up frank. >> halloween was yesterday. did anyone come? >> little kids were so excited. >> in new york what's weird, you have to sign a sheet that lets trick-or-treaters know if it's okay to come to your apartment. so i went to buy some candy and stuff. and there are kids in dwayne reed which i love trick or treating at the drug store. and they give them the candy. and the stores are all places that they go. >> and the door men.

>> yeah. >> i helped myself. >> thank you, sarah. >> new hair, new clothes, new look. two lucky ladies, one of whom we know, show off their ambush makeovers. and a fun twist on a traditional thanksgiving feast. >> and checking up on the real housewives of atlanta. you know what that means. now this is a party. what is that? go, go, go. mmm. give me some of that sauce. i don't know, i think i might bail. yeah, it's pretty dead. [ male announcer ] one is never enough. new kfc dip'ems. freshly prepared tenders dipped in irresistible sauces. this is it. now this is a party. [ male announcer ] try a 20 pc bucket with 6 sauces. today tastes so good. homale announcer ] try a 20 pc bucket with 6 sauces. w do today tastes so good. edelicious hershey's chocolatec with 30% less fat?sauces. new hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious.

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we were told to build a 30-foot stage. gathered the guys and we built that 30-foot stage, not knowing what it was for. just days later, all three shifts were told to assemble in the warehouse. a group of people walked out on that stage and told us that the plant is now closed and all of you are fired... i looked both ways, i looked at the crowd, and...we all just lost our jobs. we don't have an income. mitt romney made over 100 million dollars by shutting down our plant and devastated our lives. turns out that when we built that stage,

it was like building my own coffin, and it just made me sick. [ male announcer ] priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertising.

and we're book on this thirsty thursday with a special installment of our ambush makeover. today is a little different. we surprised one of our staff members with a brand new look. and here to show off what they've done is our makeover team. we have lewis and jill. >> slim pickings? >> we just pre-tended there were thousands of people out there. but we came up with two great models. >> and look at kristin.

she got ambushed, too. she works here. first person we have is theresa peterson, she's 51, all the way from kodiak, alaska. she didn't receive her first real haircut until she was 21. and she hasn't worn makeup for the last ten years. so she was really excited to have this glam new look. let's take a listen to her story. >> you came from alaska and thank goodness you're safe, but still a bummer. >> we've been safe, but we haven't had the opportunity to see a thing. we've been in washington, d.c. and everything was closed. so we made our way here to new york. rented a car baut traecause the and buses were closed. so we're here now and happy to be on the "today" show. >> so you get to be on your favorite national show and get a makeover and it's your birthday. is this a treat? >> yeah. >> that was cute. so here are her daughters, elizabeth and mckenzie. please keep your blind bolds on. here is theresa peterson before. all right. let's see the new you.

take off your blind folds. take them off. all right. are you ready, mom? >> oh, it's wonderful. >> you look great. you look fantastic. >> tell us about the hair. >> she has a great beautiful swept away haircut. it's so pretty. i made the color a little deeper. it looks like you. and that's the most important thing about color. and natural looking makeup. >> which is wonderful. >> what do you guys think? >> it's great. i like it. >> that dress is hot. go, girl.

>> this is really the first day where they can go out. this is from london times. and it's actually comfortable. >> you can walk in them en. >> thank you so much. >> yes, beautiful. >> all right. our second lady is our own christine, only 23 years old from right here in new york. we just decided to surprise one of our deserving staffers. and she thought she was just helping out, but we turned the tables on her. let's listen to her story. >> we thought we would do a little differently today. we thought we would see you a little glam look for the day. what do you think? >> why not. >> are you game for anything? >> sure. >> and you were just say has gone she wants an ambush makeover. tell us. >> she was saying that she would love a makeover.

>> oh, my gosh. >> all right. we'll give you a hot new look. are you ready for three hours for us to pamper you? >> sounds awesome. yes, i would love that. >> are you shocked? >> yes, i am. >> she's an absolute doll. there's brittany, sarah and betsy over there. you know the drill. let's take one last look at kristen before and bring out the new kristen. oh, my gosh! oh, wow. stay right there. oh, my gosh. >> a them off, you guys. kristen, you look unbelievable, honey. them off, you guys. kristen, you look unbelievable, honey. turn around. >> oh, my gosh. >> look darling. >> you've done your magic. your haircut is adorable.

>> her hair color, she has that light brown hair, so i went with the warmth. and she has a natural blond streak. that's your trademark. so i decided to leave it. and this is a color that will wash away over time. the hair color always ladies body to her hair. so she has much more texture than she ever had before. >> i love it. >> you look great. >> thank you. >> that outfit -- she's always had the cutest little body, but we never see her around here like that. by the way, the crew is going bonkers. >> look at this body. we put her in something sexy. you can do a little sexy. so we put her in a dress. >> theshe's 23, she's old enoug. >> the dress from andrew marks.

>> good job. all right. do you have a headache? it could be more than just stress or lack of sleep. some surprising triggers you might not know about right after this. doorbell rings ] donuts? ♪ [ chuckles ] ♪ you're cute. ♪ [ door creaks, closes ] [ female announcer ] the protein effect. new special k protein cereal. with ten grams of protein and three grams of fiber... finally, a protein cereal to help keep you fuller longer. willpower. what will you gain when you lose?

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today we're talking about headaches. 22 million women suffer from

them and sometimes they're due to too much alcohol or skimping on sleep. but there are surprising new reasons your head can hurt. prevention magazine's dwep pepu editor is here to fill us in. so not always the usual cull pretties. >> not the usual culculprits. 22 million people suffer regular headaches. and there are a lot of reasons. >> sometimes it's what we eat. and when you look at this beautiful blat plate of hor d'oeuvres, there's something in this that's not great. >> smoked dried aged food leak wine, cheese, smoked salmon, high in something that causes your blood vessels to constrict. so if you're prone to headaches after you eat, keep a log. >> and red wine does it more than white wine. >> that's actually an urban

myth. >> it's true in my house, honey. >> i'm used to having a couple cups of coffee a day. if i still it one day, i notice a dull headache. so on the weekends oftentimes people sleep in, catch up on sleep. but you can go into caffeine withdrawal while you're sleep and wake up with a headache. that's why we recommend that you get up at the same time every day. you should sleep in no more than an hour a day. >> so get up at the same time and drink coffee like you're going to work? >> exactly. a lot of people -- >> i'm thinking about, what, go back to bed afterwards? you can't because you just had caffeine. kron. >> looking at the computer and books and everything. >> the flare puts enormous strain on the eyes.

so we recommend every hour take a break, read something the old fashioned way. and when you take breaks, it helps your productivity. >> all right. what about the gas station smells? >> smells can trigger things. 2 million americans are allergic to fragrances. that can be perfume, but also the smell of gas. so you can't always control the smells that you're surrounded by. so obviously if you're sentence to fragrance, don't wear perfume. >> don't go on bloomingdales during christmas season where they spray everybody. you love bloomingdales, but avoid it if you're allergic. >> absolutely. and we recommend carrying around vials of essential oils. lavender is like a tension tamer. >> i like to put wlachb der just in my bath at night. if i'm dehydrated, sometimes

your head is pounding. >> it's obviously good to hydrate. >> okay. thanks. next up, a couple of real housewives of atlanta are there. they have a new season, some dish. they're fighting. is that what happens? uh-huh. [ female announcer ] pillsbury crescents

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we have a lovely gentleman outside our studio here. he says i walked here for power to see klg and hoda. i think we'll invite him into the studio. thanks for coming to see us. >> i hope he'll come into say hello. real housewives of atlanta has always been filled with drama. >> and it's gearing up to be the hottest season yet. >> two new cast measures, portia stewart and kenya moore. can't look like they're getting along too well.

let's take a look. >> have a nice day. >> bye. >> starting to feel crazy. >> so it begins. hi, kids. >> hello, ladies. >> so you've been on the show and you're -- >> i'm brand new. >> how long is a newbie? >> it's always good to have new blood. we love a little spice in our gumbo down south. >> let's be real. you don't like her. >> that's a strong word. i'm a good christian woman. i love everybody. >> just don't hate her and you'll be all right. >> what's the tension, what's the nut of the tension this season? >> the nut, a perfect word. i would say the nut of the tension if you will is just strong personalities.

>> that's what makes for a great reality series. >> exactly. and just like real life. you have girlfriends and you're not going to leak everybody in the group. and that's how it is with us. >> you have i think the highest rated franchise. everyone watches atlanta. so is that why you wanted to join this cast, did you look and see, wow, there are opportunities for me? >> absolutely. the platform is huge. it's already women on the show who are intelligent, independent. and i saw it as a way to bring attention to things i scared about and, you know, which will is gives back. my family is a family of giving back. so that's one of the main things you'll see me doing. >> and a great opportunity business-wise. >> absolutely. >> and tell us about what develops with you. >> well, i'm a budding funeral directress. so i bear anythiury anything th pulse. >> you want to wait until they have passed.

>> so this year i'm expanding my business as you can see to animals. >> it's an animal funeral. oh, my gosh. okay. i have regis on a shelf right now the at tat my house. the dog. not the -- well, we wish you the best. this sunday night at 9:00, 8:00 central on bravo. >> some tasty twists on your traditional feast next. anncr: which do you believe?

what mitt romney's tv ads say about women? or what mitt romney himself says? mitt romney: do i believe the supreme court... should overturn roe v. wade? yes. and it would be my preference that they, that they... reverse roe v. wade. hopefully reverse roe v. wade. overturn roe v. wade. planned parenthood, we're going to get rid of that. i'll cut off funding to planned parenthood. anncr: no matter what mitt romney's ads say. we know what he'll do. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message.

just three weeks on to go until thanksgiving. we'll give you plenty of time to learn how to take your classic celebration to a next level. >> culinary tricks to spice up

your pie, elaine griffin has fun ideas that will wow your guests. nice to see you. >> we have a lot of great ideas because thanksgiving is all about gratitude and how to give thanks with great style. let's start with our cocktails. >> why not. though it could give you a headache. >> now, cider is the official bench of fall. so we're spicing ours up for the occasion with a malt cider pineapple cocktail. virgin for the kids. a little rum for the grown ups. >> that's very nice. i love the way it's presented. >> and then my favorite hinge, obviously we can be thankful every day of november. >> how about all year-round. there's a concept. >> so we'll make a calendar, very easy. do it with a pin board or a frame like we did here.

and an envelope for every day. you drop in a little something. beach vacation, a great one this summer. new cat. you. >> adorable. that would be fun for children. >> and you can also wait and open it together before the big meal. >> gold is the color, huh? >> i'm very excited about this. thanksgiving is the meal where how it's served, how your table looks is just as important as how the food tastes. so he with have a woodsy theme this year. and the star is gold. everything from the cut lettele the china and crystal, gold is hot so we're starting with that. and instead of doing just one big bouquet in the center of the table, we're doing something different. a multitiered set up.

and use a cake stand. >> clever. >> these are the harvest vegetables that we've spray painted with a little gold. and this is burlap -- outdoor theme -- about your happburlap store and ribbon. >> very pretty. >> so you definitely want to bring in the outdoors with your place cards, too. >> adorable. >> oh, look. this is cute. >> you can add inspiration. >> love that. >> and then no the kids, because there's always a kiddy table, we'll make oversized acorn and leaf place mats. >> are these little stickers? >> yes. all the adults can catch up while the kids decorate. >> we love it. tomorrow we'll talk about

questions and answers for men and we'll make crafty cocktails. and we're finally going to have your ipad thing or ipod, whatever it is. ihoda. have an awesome day, everybody. we'll see you at scandalous tonight.